MERSEYSIDE Police has apologised after reports officers mistakenly told a mum her son was dead.
They had wrongly identified him as the man who was found at a park last Sunday.
The body of a man was found at Queens Park in the children's play area on the morning of Sunday, January 26.
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The Mirror Online reported that officers mistakenly identified Wes McDonnell, from Northampton, as the man who died in the park.
This was reportedly after they had found his Facebook account and saw he had the same name as the man found in St Helens.
The mum of Mr McDonnell told the Mirror that Northamptonshire officers who visited her home said Merseyside Police was responsible for identifying the wrong man.
A police vehicle outside Queens Park
Merseyside Police has apologised for any distress caused to the family.
Assistant Chief Constable Jon Roy said: "We are extremely sorry for any distress that we have caused to Mr McDonnell and his family.
"We have had further contact with Mr McDonnell’s family and a full internal review is underway so we can understand exactly what happened, and assess what we can learn from this incident to ensure it does not happen again."
A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: "We have not received a referral regarding this incident. Under complaints procedures, any complaint would initially be considered by the relevant police force.”
It is understood the next of kin of the man found dead in St Helens have since been traced.
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