THE family of a man found dead near a Basildon golf course say they need justice.

Their plea came as a coroner said there would be a “full, fair and fearless inquiry” into his death.

Michael Redmond, from The Vale, Vange, was found near Basildon Golf Course on August 12 last year, having been missing for nearly a month.

The 47-year-old father was reported missing by his distraught family on July 15 after he was last seen at the 13th hole on the course.

Essex Police carried out a search of the site and surrounding area, but found nothing.

However, they later returned and found Mr Redmond’s body in undergrowth near the course and close to where he was seen. Police voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission after concerns were raised by Mr Redmond’s family about their handling of the matter.

Yesterday, a pre-inquest hearing heard the commission had referred the case back and told the force’s professional standards department to carry out an investigation.

A separate internal police investigation has already been completed.

Maureen Redmond, Mr Redmond’s mother, said: “We always wanted to make it clear it wasn’t a witch hunt. But we do need to have justice and we do need for it to be made clear there were assumptions made about my son from one witness statement which put a shadow over the whole investigation and which has not been substantiated by anyone else.

“Maybe if people had taken things more seriously they would have found him much sooner and had a clear indication of how he died and what he died of.”

A post mortem examination failed to find the cause of death.

The result of investigations into police dealings surrounding the death of Mr Redmond will be disclosed at the inquest on August 26.

Coroner Caroline Beasley- Murray said: “This court will carry out a full, fair and fearless inquiry.”