Drawings by Yorkshire artist aim to identify rail victims

Using mortuary photographs as a guide, Sharon McDonagh, from York, drew pictures of 18 men and two women whose bodies were found on or near railway tracks since 1975.

Detectives hope relatives and friends of the unidentified people will come forward after recognising the drawings, which are published today by British Transport Police.

Ms McDonagh, a forensic artist accredited by the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "What I try to do is to recreate what the person would have looked like alive, to breathe life back into them if you like. The source material is a mortuary photograph, but the drawing is not just a reproduction.

"Rather these are interpretations that highlight certain characteristics, which people who knew the person will hopefully instantly recognise."

Ms McDonagh, who researched 1970s hairstyles for one of the images, added: "Although I only have a picture of a face to work from, I use all the information about that person – age, height, build, for instance.

"If you know they are of slim build, for instance, that will affect the way you draw their face.

"If you know something about their background, you can get a feel for the person."

Police believe there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding any of the deaths.