By Graham Huband, Jennifer Cosgrove and Andrew Jarret

POLICE CONFIRMED last night that the badly burned corpse found at Buddon golf course at Carnoustie was a local man from the nearby village of Barry.

The force said inquiries into the suspicious death of Robert Higgins, of Main Street, Barry, were ongoing and appealed for anyone who had seen the 51-year-old in the hours prior to the discovery of his body at 6.40am on Wednesday to come forward.

The charred remains of Mr Higgins—who is understood to have been a psychiatric nurse who may have been laid off from work three months ago—were found close to the 11th tee of the links course by horrified greenkeepers.

Last night the police said they were trying to piece together the deceased’s final movements and said they were keen to know what happened to him during an unaccounted period of two hours on Tuesday evening.

Mr Higgins was in Rait in rural Perthshire until around 7.30pm but his next whereabouts are not known until 9.30pm when he arrived at the Craw’s Nest bar in Carnoustie’s Ravensby Park Gardens.

The last sighting of Mr Higgins was shortly after midnight at the end of a path leading from Macdonald Smith Drive in Carnoustie to the railway level crossing at Station Road.

The Buddon course where his remains were found is only a short distance away.

Police inquiries continued at the course yesterday but it will re-open for play today.

A police spokesperson said a significant number of witnesses have already been spoken to but detectives still wish to talk to anyone who saw Mr Higgins on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

Police are especially keen to speak to anyone who may have encountered the deceased as he made the journey from Rait to Carnoustie.

Mr Higgins was slim, around 5ft 9in, and had light brown hair and brown eyes.

When last seen he was wearing blue stonewash jeans, a pale Bench T-shirt, a pale canvas jacket and a pair of tan Cat-make boots. He was also carrying a black rucksack or holdall.

Shocked neighbours of the dead man told The Courier yesterday they had been interviewed by police.

One said he was even asked if he would be prepared to identify Mr Higgins’ body from photographs, but his assistance was not required in the end.

Another neighbour said he was “surprised” to hear about Mr Higgins’ untimely death.

“He kept himself to himself,” he explained. “We used to see him out with his dogs. He was a quiet man. He had a car and used to do shift work.

“We saw a person on Tuesday night walking up and down in Carnoustie looking a bit lost about 11pm and we reported that to the police.

“Nobody took it in when we heard it might be Bob. It will affect people in Barry because we all know each other.”

Another shocked resident said, “He kept three dogs at one time and lost one about two years ago and another about six months ago.

“Nobody here knew anything happened. I wouldn’t have known if the police hadn’t come around on Wednesday.”

Mr Higgins is believed to have lived alone at his house in Barry but had vacated the property in April.

It has been suggested the house was repossessed and had gone back on the market a month ago and Mr Higgins had been living in Letham meantime.

His mother is thought to still be alive, but residents in Barry are unsure where she might be located.

Anyone with information relating to Mr Higgins’ final movements, or who may have offered him a lift as he made the journey from Rait to Carnoustie, should contact the police on 0845 600 5705, or speak to any officer.