The man lived above a shop in Chingford Road but had few possessions and nothing to identify him

This picture of Bryan Woolis on a canal boat was one of the only clues to his identity

A Walthamstow man killed in a road traffic collision has finally been identified – ten years after his death.

Late into the evening of Thursday, 22nd January 2015, a man was crossing Chingford Road just north of the busy junction with Forest Road and Hoe Street when he was tragically struck by a car and killed.

Witnesses were sought and the driver was prosecuted, but the case remained open because the man’s identity could not be confirmed – until now.

Volunteers with Locate International, a charity which investigates cold cases of missing and unidentified people, have successfully confirmed the man’s identity as Bryan Alwyn Woolis.

The charity’s investigation involved tracking down the owner of a canal boat Bryan had been pictured on and visiting The William The Fourth pub in Leyton where he was known to drink, before tracing him back to Sheffield where he grew up and using the local press to raise awareness. Even now, however, it is unclear if Bryan had children or a partner and further information about him is still being sought.

A Locate International volunteer puts up a poster in a shop

Bryan lived above a shop in Chingford Road but had few possessions, and nothing to identify him. A phone had only a small handful of contacts, and, intriguingly, a few printed photos gave some clues as to his life: they showed the man aboard a canal boat, exploring with curiosity.

A few people said they had encountered him. His name may have been “Brian Wallace”, they said, and he had worked cash-in-hand as a builder. He had a northern accent and may have had a sister who lived elsewhere in London but, back in 2015, little else was known about him.

Bryan’s details remained public on the UK Missing Persons Unit website for years, but brought no leads and the case went cold.

In 2022, Locate International’s volunteer investigators began their own investigation. They quickly identified the owner of the canal boat on which Bryan was pictured; they did not know each other, he said, but they had met at The William The Fourth near Bakers Arms. Drinkers at the pub recognised the pictures of him, but said he was quiet and had often sat in the corner alone.

In early 2024, however, after a press appeal by Locate International targeting Sheffield, there was a significant breakthrough. The Sheffield Star newspaper ran a story on him in January that year which prompted Nik Dodsworth, an inspector with South Yorkshire Police, to investigate further.

“I did some enquiries and found a partial DNA hit which brought up a Bryan Alwyn Woolis, and I immediately noted the similarity of the name to Brian Wallace,” said Insp Dodsworth.

“I found an obituary for an Alwyn Woolis who had died in Derbyshire in 2016, and in the obituary his late son Bryan was mentioned, as well as Alwyn’s daughter and another son.”

Insp Dodsworth then identified Alwyn Woolis’ daughter. Nine years after the fatal collision in Walthamstow, she was able to make a positive identification: the man who died was her brother, Bryan Woolis.

Since then, Locate International and Insp Dodsworth have been liaising with the Woolis family, and the match has been passed to the Metropolitan Police and East London coroner. Yvonne Naish, who led the team that investigated Bryan’s case, said: “I am really pleased that we have been able to let his family know what happened to him and hopefully bring them some peace of mind.

“The whole team spent a lot of time thinking about the case and trying to understand how the police had a name yet no-one could locate his family.”

Bryan is believed to have been close to someone named Sylvia, who worked in country and western venues in the Nottingham area, but little more is known about his life.

“My sympathy is with Bryan’s family, who had to live with not knowing what happened to him for several years,” said Insp Dodsworth. “I am glad that they finally have some closure on this tragic incident and can begin to rebuild.”

Bryan is buried in Manor Park Cemetery; a modest gravestone is marked “Brian Wallace 22.01.2015”.

Anyone with further information can contact Locate International via its website:
Visit locate.international/bryan-woolis

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