A man has been found killed at a Bronze Age stone circle during a summer solstice celebration.
Police named the victim as Isaac Clare-Watts. The 26-year-old’s body was found at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire at around 1.30pm on Monday (local time).
Derbyshire Constabulary said his life had “been taken in the most brutal way”.
On Wednesday, a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody.
Christy Clare, Clare-Watts’s mother, paid tribute to her son.
In a post on social media, she said: “It breaks our hearts to let you all know that Isaac, son and brother, was found dead on Monday morning.
“We don’t have much information currently. We all know he was Isaac the Wonder Boy and that this will upset many. Contact is welcome but please understand we have no words or answers.”
The family is being supported by specially trained officers.
Clare-Watts, a keen drummer, had been working as a joiner at the Nottingham-based building firm Frank Goulding Ltd and left late last year for a period of travelling.
It is understood he had recently returned to the UK and that he planned to resume his travels around the world.
The team at Frank Goulding said in a statement: “Isaac joined us as a young man in 2016 to pursue a career in construction. He successfully completed his joinery apprenticeship and developed into a very skilled joiner.
“Isaac was a very popular member of our team and decided last year he wanted to take some time and go and see the world, in particular spending some time in Thailand to develop his Muay Thai skills, which was a passion of his.
“We are all very saddened to hear the tragic news and our prayers and sympathy go to his family.”
Officers said a number of people were in the area over the weekend for the summer solstice. They are urging anyone who was there between June 19 and 23, and anyone with any footage from the event during the same period, to come forward.
Detective Inspector Tony Owen, from the East Midlands special operations unit, who is leading the investigation, said: “I am urgently appealing for anyone who attended the summer solstice event over the weekend to please speak to officers as soon as they can.
“A young man’s life has been taken in the most brutal way, so it is vital that myself and the team build up a clear picture of the exact circumstances surrounding his death. This is why we urgently need to speak to everyone who was at the scene over the weekend.
“You may have only been there briefly and think you can’t help – but you could hold the key piece of information we need to understand what has happened and help us to get justice for this young man’s family.”
He added: “I would ask, please, that if you attended the event, you contact us urgently so we can build up a picture of the event itself and what has led to this man’s death. I also really urge anyone who captured video footage from the event over the weekend to please come forward.”
According to English Heritage, Nine Ladies Stone Circle is a small early Bronze Age stone circle “traditionally believed to depict nine ladies turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on Sunday”.
