The DAS Air cargo jet impounded by Heathrow Airport authorities over the weekend was released on Sunday evening and proceeded to West Africa, sources at DAS Air offices have said.

The plane was impounded on Sunday morning after engineers found a body of a man believed to be of African origin, when checking the flight on arrival at the airport, said a Scotland Yard spokesman.

The body of the unidentified man was handed over to the Coroner for a post mortem which was scheduled for yesterday.

London Police investigating the death said it had not yet been established where the man boarded the aircraft.

The Police said it was difficult to identify the body, as there were no identification document found on it.

The stowaway is thought to have frozen to death as temperatures in undercarriage bays reach minus 40C (minus 40F) at high altitude.

However, sources at Heathrow Airport said there was only a pocket diary found on the crushed body which they said is a clue to finding out the body's identity.

The source said the victim seemed to have prepared for the trip as some foodstuff was found on him.

Kampala sources said the dead man's pockets contained Uganda currency of an undisclosed sum.

The DAS Kampala station manager yesterday said, "Our plane was released on Sunday."