The backpack found with the man. Photo: Police / Supplied
Police are working with overseas authorities to try to identify a man who was found dead in Christchurch's Heathcote Valley almost a week ago.
The death occurred on Horotane Valley Road on 19 September and police believe it was not suspicious.
The man was in his 30s or 40s, with a distinctive birthmark on his left forearm, police said. He was wearing a black long sleeve woollen jersey, black trousers and grey tramping boots.
He also had a backpack containing items such as a bike pump.
Items belonging to an unidentified man found dead on Horotane Valley Road, Heathcote Valley on Friday 19 September. Photo: Police / Supplied
Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said police did not know if the man was a New Zealander and they were using Interpol to help identify him.
"This is very unusual that we can't identify this male. We are determined to bring him to his loved ones so we are working very hard to identify him so we can do just that," she said.
"We have colleagues that work out of our police national headquarters who work in the Interpol team, and who liaise with other countries who are our partner countries, and they will be looking at information that they can gather from them.
"This is really tough on everyone involved including the person that located the individual and we will continue to support our officers and that person."
Items belonging to an unidentified man found dead on Horotane Valley Road, Heathcote Valley on Friday 19 September. Photo: Police / Supplied
Police were continuing to appeal for any information from the public.
"We thank everyone that has already provided information but there's still information I'm sure that is out there, including dashcam footage of anyone that was in that area, which was the morning of the 19th of September," Simmons said.
"Maybe trucks or cars going through around 2am and 4am that day that would be really useful. And other people in the area with CCTV cameras, if they could look around that timeframe."
Anyone with information was urged to call 105 and quote file number 250919/7193, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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