THE brother of Christopher Alder, the ex-paratrooper at the centre of a body mix-up, says he expects to finally bury him within the next few weeks.
Tests were carried out yesterday on the body, found in Hull Royal Infirmary's mortuary, believed to be that of the father-of-two.
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PROCESSION: The funeral held for Christopher Alder in November 2000.
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DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY: Christopher Alder.
His funeral took place in 2000, two years after his death in police custody, aged 37.
It is thought the body of a Nigerian woman, Grace Kamara, 77, was buried in his grave in Hull's Western Cemetery instead.
Richard Alder, 52, of Burstwick, said: "The results of the tests will give our family the confirmation we need."
At the request of the brothers' sister, Janet, 50, the tests were carried out by Professor Jack Crane, state pathologist for Northern Ireland.
Mr Alder said: "We are expecting the results in the next three weeks.
"After that, we can get on with organising Christopher's funeral."
Mr Alder is adamant that his brother should be buried in the same plot, where they believed he had laid for more than a decade.
As first revealed in the Mail, the ashes of the veteran's niece, Laura, who died in 2006, were scattered over the grave at her specific request.
Mr Alder said his family is still in shock.
"What has happened is unbelievable," he said. "As a family, all we can do now is work with the authorities and get Christopher laid to rest."
The mix-up was only revealed when Mrs Kamara's family asked to see the body prior to her funeral, which had been delayed for more than ten years after a relative experienced problems gaining a visa.
Mr Alder's body was subsequently identified by a deputy coroner from tattoos and a dental examination.
However, his sister insisted an independent expert was hired to carry out DNA tests.
The Ministry Of Justice confirmed an application for an exhumation had been made.
The Government department is now considering the application.
Mr Alder died at Queens Gardens Police Station in Hull city centre. He had been arrested after a scuffle outside a nightclub.
After an inquest into his death returned a verdict of "unlawful killing", five police officers stood trial for manslaughter, alongside misconduct charges.
However, the case collapsed and the officers were cleared.
Mrs Kamara, who lived in Hull for 40 years, died of natural causes.