Cremated man turns up alive

British police are investigating after a woman oversaw the cremation of a body she believed was her son - who turned up alive the next day.

The mixup began when a man's body was discovered in Manchester, on Oct. 12. He was identified as Thomas Dennison, 39, by a care worker who knew him.

Officials contacted Dennison's mother, Gina Partington, 58, who identified the dead man as her son. The body was released to the family and a funeral was held Tuesday.

The next day, Dennison was discovered alive in Nottingham, 130 kilometres away.

Partington said the resemblance between the dead man and her son was remarkable. She told the Manchester Evening News "I held his hand and kissed his head. I stayed with him for about 40 minutes and would have sworn he was my son."

Police said they believed they knew the identity of the dead man, who had been living on the streets, and were trying to contact his relatives in Ireland.