Gardaí in Donegal have reopened the investigation into the discovery of a man's body found off the Co Donegal coast 26 years ago following the emergence of new information.

The body was found by a fisherman off Dunfanaghy in 1983 but has never been identified. The man was aged about 40, was six feet tall and weighed 11 stone. He was balding, with dark brown hair.

A garda spokesperson said: "We can confirm that due to information received we are following a line of enquiry."

The man's body was found by a fisherman in the sea off Dunfanaghy on 27 June 1983 but after a huge search of guesthouses, hotels and caravan parks, the body was never identified. He was subsequently buried in an un­marked grave in Dunfanaghy. There were unconfirmed reports at the time that he may have been Canadian.

Fresh evidence in relation to the man has been furnished to gardaí in recent months and the file into the man's death has been re-opened. It is understood that gardaí are liaising with international police.

The body was found in the water between Horn Head and Katherine's Island and was later taken to the county morgue in Letterkenny. The condition of the body indicated that it was not in the water for a very long time and did not come from far away.

At the time, gardaí said they were examining the possibility that the man may have fallen off a trawler or drowned off the coast of Northern Ireland, but no trace of a missing person to fit his description emerged.