Alan Wolstenhulme

Alan Wolstenhulme was found dead in a stream by a field in Ashton-under-Lyme.

His inquest found that he died after a ligature was tied round his neck, possibly by another man.

He had been wearing only his underpants at the time and had a ligature mark round his neck.

His post mortem examination showed that he had suffered from vagal inhibition, caused by the ligature restricting the flow of blood from his brain to his heart.

It was noted that he might have been involved in a sex-game in which the ligature was used to temporarily cut off the blood supply between the heart and brain, which could give sexual stimulation.

The police said that they beleived that Alan Wolstenhulme might have met up with another homosexual int he field at Alt Lane and that they had indulged in sex experimentation.

However, it was note dthat the ligature that caused his death was missing when the police got to the scene.

The police said:

Alan Wolstenhulme had lived with a man at Mill Brow, Park Bridge in Ashton and had been a former sex-shop manager. He had solf up after an attack for which he was later awarded a substantial sum by the Criminal Injuries Board. He had his partner had moved to Park Bridge four months earlier.

The area by Alt Lane where he died was described as having been popular with homosexuals.

However, the police said that they were reviwing his case after Kevan Borthwick was convicted of the murder of his boyfriend in 1996. It was then noted that no one was ever traced for their involvement in his case, which it was stated could have been been a murder, an act of manslaughter or an accidental death.