Body found in search for University of Warwick professor

The body of Prof Tom Marsh has been found, police said

Police searching for a professor who vanished from a research trip to the Chilean desert in September say they have found his body.

University of Warwick academic Prof Tom Marsh went missing during a visit to La Silla Observatory.

His body was found about 5km (three miles) from the observatory in the country's Atacama desert, police said.

The authorities have not revealed the cause of death.

The founding professor of the university's astronomy and astrophysics group was reported missing from the observatory on 16 September, two days after arriving in the country.

The 60-year-old from Rugby had been working as a visiting astronomer at the European Southern Observatory.

In a Twitter update the local police said the body had been found "in the face of an intense search" by the team.

"We are sorry to deliver this sad news and express our condolences to his family and friends," it said.

Prof Marsh's family had travelled to northern Chile to follow the search operation, local media reported.

Provost of the University of Warwick, Prof Chris Ennew, said: "This is deeply distressing news for Tom's family and our thoughts are of course with them, along with his colleagues and our wider community.

"And we realise it's particularly difficult while people are waiting for formal identification to take place."