Emiliano Sala: Photo of dead footballer's body in morgue posted online, prompting police investigation

Investigators working on theory someone may have broken into mortuary to take picture

Police are investigating after a photo said to show the body of footballer Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash in January, was posted online.

The image, which appears to show the late Cardiff City striker lying in a morgue, was shared on Twitter on Saturday by a now-deleted account.

Investigators are reportedly working on the theory that someone broke into the mortuary in Bournemouth where the 28-year-old's body was taken and snapped the picture there.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: “We are aware that a picture reported to be of Mr Sala's body has been shared on social media channels and are disgusted that somebody did this…

“It is clearly a very difficult time for Mr Sala's family and they should not have to endure additional pain that this shameful act will undoubtedly cause.

"We are investigating this incident and are working together with a number of agencies to establish how the picture was taken and who is responsible."

The Argentinian died when the light aircraft he was a passenger in plummeted into the English Channel near Guernsey during stormy weather on 21 January.

He was on his way to his first training session at Cardiff after completing a £15m club record move from Nantes FC in France.

Pilot David Ibbotson, from Crowle in Lincolnshire was also killed, although his body was never recovered.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is still looking into possible causes of the crash but a preliminary report in February said Mr Ibbotson was not licensed to carry fee-paying passengers and the plane was not registered for commercial flights.

The photo itself emerged just a day after Mr Sala's father, Horacio Sala, himself died back home in Argentina following a heart attack.

Friends say he had never recovered from his son’s death and was killed by the grief.