UPDATE: The set of keys has now been claimed by their owner and are not linked to the body found on Perranporth beach. They have been eliminated from enquiries.

The discovery of the body of a man on Perranporth beach is now being treated as 'suspicious', following the results of a forensic post-mortem examination.

The post mortem was conducted on Friday (February 28), and according to police, "multiple injuries were found on the body which are inconsistent with drowning and cannot be easily explained".

Police believe the man was in the water for no more than 24 hours.

As well as the jacket, photograph and shoe found nearby, detectives are trying to trace the owner of a set of keys, consisting of a Citroen car key, two mortice lock keys, a hippopotamus keyring and a red fob.

It is not known whether the keys are linked to the man. If they are not, officers would like to eliminate them from their enquiries.

Police have also revealed that there was a date on the back of the photograph of 13 April 1952. It is unclear what this date refers to. It could be a date of birth or the date the photograph was taken.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Thorne from the major crime investigation team, said: “Finding out the identity of this man is key to the investigation. Without knowing who he is, it is very difficult to find out what happened to him and establish the circumstances surrounding his death.

“Perranporth is a small community which attracts a variety of people and we are hoping someone will have seen something that could unlock this mystery.

“If anyone knows who he is from the details given, or has seen someone on Perranporth beach on Monday or Tuesday last week matching his description, we’d like to hear from you.

“We also urge anyone with any information relating to the items found on the beach, however insignificant it may seem, to get in touch.”

Anyone with information that could assist with the investigation is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 381 of 1 March 2014, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.