Charity begins fresh appeal ahead of 8-year anniversary of the death of ‘Brian Wallace’

A team of volunteer investigators is looking into the case of ‘Brian Wallace’, who was fatally struck by a vehicle in London in January 2015. They believe he may have had a link to the Sheffield area – can you help trace his family or friends?

[December, 2022] In January 2015, a man was fatally struck by a car on a busy junction in north-east London, and to this day he has never been identified.

Now, a team of volunteer investigators with the charity Locate International has been assigned to solve the mystery of his identity. Investigators have learned he is likely to have had children, a detail that has not previously been published, and that he may have had a link to Sheffield.

As we get closer to Christmas, we hope you can help reunite him with his family, who may not know that he has died.

The man was fatally struck near The Bell pub, on the corner of Forest Road and Chingford Road/Hoe Street in Walthamstow, at about 10.20pm on Thursday, 22 January 2015. The driver of the car was later given a suspended sentence for their part in the collision.

Locate International’s team has since learned that the man used to frequent the William The Fourth pub on Leyton High Road, so are appealing to anyone who drinks there, or used to do so, in case they recognise him.

He was white, about 172cm (5ft 7ins) tall, and aged between about 50 and 70. He had grey hair and a moustache.

Original reports in 2015 revealed that the man had a Northern accent, and that he told locals he had family in the Sheffield area. It is also suggested that he mentioned children with whom he had lost touch.

At the time of his death, no identifying documents were found on his person, and the only numbers on his phone were for work contacts. Police believe he was living near the scene of the collision under the name of ‘Brian Wallace’ and had worked as a local builder for many years.

Ask yourself these questions:
• Did you ever know a Brian Wallace who left Yorkshire for London?
• Do you know a Wallace family in your area who lost touch with anyone?
• Does the man resemble anyone you once knew?
• Might you have hired him as a builder at some point?

Dave Grimstead, our CEO and co-founder, said:

“We appreciate that this incident took place nearly eight years ago now, and that the man was known to live a private and quiet life. What we do know is that sometimes it is a multitude of small details that can make the difference.

“Our teams work on long-term missing and unidentified person cases and regularly deal with cases that have remained unsolved for decades. Sometimes details that seem insignificant to the public match up with other information we’ve already received. We’ve managed to resolve cases much older than this one using seemingly minor pieces of information, and hope to do the same for this man.”

Dave added:

“We recognise that the festive season can be a challenging time for families, and this case is an all-too-common reminder that people can become estranged and alienated from their loved ones, for myriad reasons.

“We understand the sensitivity that an incident like this is surrounded with, and are committed to handling all information in a confidential and respectful manner.”

This week, volunteers from Locate have started distributing letters and posters in the Walthamstow and Leyton areas, calling for anyone who knew ‘Brian’ to come forward. The team also plan to extend their on-location activity to Sheffield in the new year.

If you recognise the description of this man, his image, or have any information about his family, friends, or past, you can contact Locate confidentially through by emailing appeals@locate.international, by calling

0300 102 1011

or by visiting https://locate.international/brian-wallace-appeal/ or clicking here