THE wife of a man whose body police took six months to identify has spoken of her grief.

Margaret Burke, 52, says she and her family have been struggling to cope since receiving the news that a body discovered in a park off Uxbridge Road, Hayes, in January, was that of her estranged husband Patrick Burke, 53.

Police used DNA evidence to try to identify him but were only able to make a positive match this month.

Mr Burke, known to friends and family as Paddy, had been missing since October last year.

His daughter, Natalie, was the last person to see him at the family home.

“He told her that he was going out and would be back later, and that was it,” said Mrs Burke.

“He didn’t come back, and we thought he might have met up with friends. Two days passed before we called the police.”

Police issued a missing persons appeal in November, six weeks after his disappearance, but there were no sightings. His body was found by a member of the public on January 12.

He had three grown-up children – daughter Natalia, and sons Kevin and Patrick.

In the months after he went missing, Mrs Burke, who had been separated from her husband for eight years, said the family remained hopeful he would return.

“When we got the call telling us that the body was Patrick’s, I was just devastated.

“We always thought he would be OK, and eventually come back to see his children.

“It has been such a shock for all of us.

“The kids especially have been finding it hard to cope.”

She added: “He enjoyed life, and he liked talking to people. He got on with everyone, and could strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.”

Police say they are treating the death as non-suspicious. An inquest into his death has yet to be held.

Mr Burke’s funeral will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church in Botwell Lane, Hayes, on Monday at noon. He will be buried at Cherry Lane Cemetery at 1.30pm.