Laurence Dollimore
A BRITISH man who is stuck in a Spanish hospital after being struck with a severe case of amnesia is an ‘avid cyclist’ from Cambridgeshire, his former friends have insisted.
A fresh appeal was launched this week after a 71-year-old named only as Stephen woke up in hospital in Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca, not knowing who he is or where he lives.
The cyclist was travelling on his bike in Alicante province on September 24 when he suffered a stroke. He can only remember his first name and cannot recall any family members or relatives.
Meanwhile, no one has reported him missing, complicating the police investigation.
However supposed former friends of Stephen this morning contacted the Olive Press after reading our coverage on the case.
One said he has not seen him for some years but added that he was an ‘avid cyclist’. He said he recognised him when he saw the photo in the appeal.
He told the Olive Press: “I was in a running club with Steve many years ago and it’s a few years since I last saw him.
“I’m not a cyclist and didn’t know anything about his cycling or Spain plans. But the photo is a very close fit to how he might look now.”
Another member of the running club said: “The gentleman pictured does look a lot like Steve and is of around the correct age.”
The current president of the club told the Olive Press: “A number of members in our running group recognise him from the photograph.”
The Olive Press has found an old photo of ‘Steve’ from said running club and the similarities are striking, with both the men’s beards bearing the exact same colour pattern.
The Olive Press has withheld Steve’s surname after passing the information onto the police to be verified.
Stephen suffered a stroke while cycling on a road between the towns of San Fulgencio and La Marina.
He is still recovering in a hospital in Torrevieja but is struggling with amnesia (memory loss).
He asked for his photo and story to be published in the hopes that someone will recognise him and tell him where he lives, or any details about his life.
He cannot remember his address or the names of anyone that knows him.
In an appeal on social media, the Policia Local force in San Fulgencio said: “We request your help in identifying the man in the photo.
“Due to an error, we have not been able to correctly identify him, so we ask that anyone who believes they can provide any information of interest to contact the Police on +34 696 465 481.”
