Italian police have launched a murder investigation after the naked body of a 35-year-old British man was discovered near a remote off-grid community in Sicily. The man was found dead between Noto and Canicattini Bagni in the province of Syracuse on Saturday night, with his neck showing signs of violence, prompting speculation that he may have died during some kind of ritual involving the secluded group he had reportedly been staying near.

Local reports suggested a link to "esoteric rites" after the man was found in a tent close to a farmhouse containing a rope, psychotropic drugs and a goat's head. He is understood to have spent several days in the area and had contact with the nomadic community, known locally as "hippies", who live in abandoned farmhouses and campsites and typically stay for between ten days and a month. The local mayor described the group as peaceful and said it includes foreign travellers, students and graduates seeking a freer lifestyle. A post-mortem examination is expected in the coming days as the investigation continues, and the Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.