POLICE have recovered the remains of the victim of the devastating Leamington factory fire.
David Boswell had been missing since the Leesons Polyurethanes site was razed to the ground by the massive blaze nearly seven weeks ago.
The 52-year-old was last seen at work at the Juno Drive factory on the day the fire broke out on August 27.
David’s loved ones were joined by members from the police and fire service on Tuesday afternoon to pay tribute, forming a Guard of Honour, as the remains were removed from the scene.
Warwickshire Police chaplain Matthew Hopley delivered blessings before David was transferred to the mortuary by private ambulance.
Det Supt Jon Marsden said “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with David’s family and loved ones.
“We appreciate that their grief has been exacerbated by the delay in finding David and hope that this will at least bring some closure for them.
“The operation has been lengthy due to the enormous challenges presented by a chemical fire of this magnitude.
“The Leesons site was totally decimated and needed to be systematically deconstructed by demolition experts.
“It has been a highly complex and delicate operation to find David, ensure the safety of the search teams and to preserve, record and recover every piece of potential evidence.
“Obviously our first priority has been to locate David. His family now need to know the circumstances around his untimely death and we will continue our investigations with partners to determine the cause of this fire.”
The search for David was delayed for a month as fire services, structural engineers and demolition experts took steps to make the site safe.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are on-going.
