Who is 'John Smith'? Man with No Memory Mystifies Norwegian Police

Police in Oslo have released photos of a man allegedly suffering from total amnesia, in the hope that someone can recognise him, AP reported.

The man, found in a in a snow drift the Norwegian capital last December, is in his mid-twenties and is believed to come from Eastern Europe.

He speaks very good English with an east European accent, understands Czech, Slovak, Polish and Russian.

According to an Oslo police statement: "The man has no identity papers, and does not remember his name, where he came from, how he ended up in Norway or any other details of his life".

The man has decided to call himself "John Smith", until he recovers memories of his real identity.

Smith, who was found with a cocktail of drugs in his system and cuts on his wrist, told Norway's NRK channel: "The cuts were deep and it took several months before the wounds healed. It was quite obvious that my hands had been tied together.

"I woke up with a nurse beside me, and as I did not understand, I asked her to speak to me in English. I remembered nothing. It was so funny when she asked what my name was and then I couldn't remember it.

"I was paralyzed and could not speak. But the doctor said it was different drugs in the system. I'm desperate, scared and want nothing more than to get out of this situation," Smith continued.

Local police have tried to establish the man's identity for almost four months, sending photos and fingerprints to East European police forces via Interpol, and searching through lists of missing people.

"We have come to a point in the investigation where we had tried everything without getting anywhere," Sturla Henriksbø from the Oslo police told VG newspaper. "Therefore we are now, in consultation with the man himself, releasing his picture."

Henriksbo said that despite his apparent amnesia, the man could "reason and think clearly".

His case is being handled by the violence and sexual crimes branch of the Norwegian police.