Body found not that of missing man, police say

Chief Inspector Ben Huggins said the discovery was not linked to the disappearance of 21-year-old Sebastian Sailes

A body found in the River Avon is not that of a missing man who vanished in the same area, police have confirmed.

The body of a man in his 70s was found in the water near Westmead Open Space, Chippenham, on Monday morning, Wiltshire Police said.

He has since been identified and his next of kin informed, a spokesperson for the force said.

Officers are currently searching for 21-year-old Sebastian Sailes, who is thought to have travelled to the same area after he was last seen late on 27 February.

Mr Sailes was last seen late Thursday evening

The police spokesperson added there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances around the death of the man found in the river.

An extensive search operation for Mr Sailes is under way, following his disappearance after leaving the Black Horse Pub in Chippenham on Thursday night.

He was seen on CCTV heading towards Lovers Walk and is thought to have travelled south along Avon Valley walk towards his home address in Notton.

Mr Sailes is described as white, around 5ft 10ins tall, slim build, with blonde/brown hair and a long fringe.

He was last seen wearing a grey jumper, blue jeans, a beige fur-lined jacket and white Adidas trainers with a Velcro strap across the top.

Ch Insp Ben Huggins said he understood that the discovery of the man's body "will be concerning for the public".

He added: "I'd like to reassure you that Sebastian's disappearance and the discovery of this man's body are not linked, and the search for Sebastian will continue."

He confirmed that Mr Sailes' family had been informed of the development and were being supported by officers, and renewed a plea for anyone with information about his disappearance to get in touch with police.

Drivers and residents in the Chippenham/Rowden Hill area have also been asked to check dash cam or doorbell footage from around 11:30 GMT on Thursday into the early hours of Friday morning, passing any relevant information on to officers.