DETECTIVES probing the unexplained death of Lee Balkwell are examining his mobile phone which was buried with him.

Mr Balkwell, 33, was found dead wedged head first between the drum and chassis of a cement mixer at a south Ockendon industrial area at 1am in July 2002.

In March officers from the Essex and Kent serious crime squad exhumed his body to carry out a second post mortem.

His employer Simon Bromley, 44, from Baldwin’s Farm, has always maintained it was a tragic accident while the pair working drilling out drying cement from the drum.

An inquest in 2008 found he was unlawfully killed by gross negligence manslaughter. Mr Balkwell’s mobile phone including sim card was buried with him at the time despite officers on the original inquiry not checking its records.

It was recovered during the exhumation and is now being examined as part of the ongoing case.

Dad Les Balkwell who believes foul play was involved and has fought for ten years to expose failings in previous police inquiries, hopes it could hold vital clues to his last movements.

Les Balkwell, 69, who called for the exhumation last December, said: “The police gave it back to us at the time.

We were still in shock. Lee’s partner asked for it and then had it buried with him. I don’t know why.

It was only later we realised the police had no report on checks on Lee’s phone. But it could have important information about who was phoning and when."

Police will now not be making the findings of the post mortem public despite previously saying they would be.

Yet the Echo can reveal the preliminary findings have not identified evidence of any cuts or bone fractures that may have been caused before Mr Balkwell became wedged under the mixer at Baldwin’s Farm, Dennises Lane, South Ockendon.

In a letter to Mr Balkwell, Gary Beautridge, refusing his a copy of the pathology report prepared by Dr Benjamin Swift, assistant chief constable of the Essex and Kent squad, said: “The preliminary findings of the post mortem did not reveal any evidence of the marks of violence indicated by you since (Lee) died.”

He said a CT scan was carried out and the body was remarkably well preserved and examined for two hours.

He added: “Enquires are still ongoing regarding the mobile phone and the sim card.”

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: “The decision to publicise the results of a post-mortem examination is one for the senior investigating officer. For operational reasons a decision has been taken not to publicise the results at this time.

“This investigation continues and we don’t wish to comment any further at this time.”

Mr Bromley, who was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter last November remains on police bail.