“His love for life and funny stories touched the lives of so many people,” Neil Thompson’s family said

Neil Thompson.Credit : West Midlands Police

A man has been identified after a student found his body on her school’s campus in the United Kingdom this week.

In a press release shared Tuesday, Jan. 20, the West Midlands Police identified the deceased as Neil Thompson. Thompson, who was known as “Chuck” to his family and friends, was 45 years old, according to authorities’ previous release.

He was found on the grounds of Smestow Academy in Windmill Crescent at approximately 7:15 a.m., local time on Monday, Jan. 19.

Smestow Academy in Wolverhampton.Google Maps

While police did not say who made the discovery, an 11-year-old student’s father told U.K. newspaper The Telegraph that his daughter was “really shaken up” after finding the body.

“My daughter phoned her mom up, screaming, and told her that she found a dead body by the goal posts on the field,” the father said. “She’s only 11 years of age. They went out for P.E. and it was very foggy this morning.”

“It’s left her really shaken up and we’ve come to take her out of school early,” he added. “It’s terrible what she’s had to see.”

Police said in their press release on Tuesday that Thompson was found with injuries, however, his cause of death is unknown.

“We are continuing to treat his death as unexplained and are working to establish exactly what happened, with CCTV being reviewed and door to door enquiries being carried out,” authorities continued.

Thompson was last seen on Wheatsheaf Road in Wolverhampton at around 1 a.m. on Monday wearing a distinctive camouflage jacket, grey gilet, jeans, and a beanie hat. He was also carrying a red rucksack and may have been wearing sunglasses, police said.

In the statement on Monday, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Poole of the Homicide Unit, said, “Anyone who may have seen the victim in the early hours of this morning is urged to get in touch with us.”

“Our teams are continuing to investigate the circumstances around this tragic incident and we are offering support to Mr Thompson’s family,” Wolverhampton Police’s Supt Martin Hurcomb said the following day.

“Enquiries are moving ahead as investigators work to piece together his movements and we’d ask again that anyone who may have seen Mr Thompson in the early hours of yesterday does get in touch,” Hurcomb continued.

Neil Thompson.West Midlands Police

The statement concluded, “Neighbourhood officers are also out in the area, so please do speak with them as they can offer reassurance to anyone who has concerns.”

Specialist officers are supporting Thompson’s loved ones at this tragic time, police said.

“Our beautiful son, brother, father and friend Chuck, very much loved in the community of fishing, his one true love,” his family said in a statement shared with the West Midlands Police.

“His love for life and funny stories touched the lives of so many people,” his loved ones added. “To help us find closure as a family we urge anyone with any information or sightings to please get in touch.”