POLICE from Kendal have launched a full-scale murder inquiry after the burning body of a man was found in a field between Kendal and Sedbergh.

Around 30 officers from Cumbria are in London trying to piece together the final hours in the life of 59-year-old John William Harvey, a retired market trader and well-known figure in the East End where he was referred to as John-John.

Operation Junction began after Mr Harvey's smouldering body was found by a passing motorist, who saw smoke rising behind a dry-stone wall and went to investigate at around 10.20am last Friday,April 25.

A post mortem examination showed Mr Harvey, of Drapers Road, Enfield, North London, had died from head injuries before his body was dumped in a field beside a minor road off the A684 Kendal to Sedbergh Road, close to its junction with the M6, probably in the early hours of April 25.

His body was then set alight in what appears to have been an effort to conceal his identity. Police say its proximity to the roadside suggested little effort was made to conceal the body.

The last sightings of Mr Harvey, a divorced father of three, were by his daughter at his North London home, and later, in a laundrette in Potter's Bar, at around 11.15am on Tuesday, April 22.

Cumbria police spokesman Mike Smith told the Gazette: "The inquiry is made more complex by the fact that we are dealing with two locations; where he was last seen and where his body was found, they are separated by a considerable period of time and several hundred miles.

"Mr Harvey sold fruit and veg from a stall on Islington market and, as a fight-fan, was well known among London's boxing fraternity."

Mr Smith said, although investigators were looking at the possibility that Mr Harvey was killed outside the county and his body was brought here, the investigation into his death would remain the responsibility of Cumbria Constabulary until or unless they proved he was killed elsewhere.

Cumbrian officers have been conducting door-to-door inquiries in London in an effort to piece together a picture of Mr Harvey's life and his last days and the focus of the investigation is likely to remain in the Capital.

But they are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Killington Services, Killington Lake or on the Kendal to Sedbergh Road, or anyone who saw anything suspicious in the early hours of Friday, April 22. They are also keen to trace two cars known to be used by Mr Harvey - they are a silver Vauxhall Corsa, registration number DN51 WZD, and a black Fiat Punto, YJ02 OOF.

Anyone with information should call the Operation Junction incident room on 01539-722611.

May 2, 2003 09:00