Gareth Jones: Body found in search for man lost at sea with dog

Gareth Jones was a former BBC director

A body has been found in the search for a man who was believed to have been swept out to sea with his dog.

Gareth Jones, 69, was last seen near Hove, East Sussex, on Saturday afternoon.

The family of the former BBC HR director and academic said he was a "truly special man".

Sussex Police said a body found near Seaford on Tuesday is believed to be Mr Jones.

The family's pet cockapoo, named Connie, was found dead on a beach on Monday.

Mr Jones worked as the BBC's director of HR and legal affairs between 2000 and 2001.

Gareth Jones's cockapoo, Connie, was also swept out to sea

Daughter Rhian Jones said he would "live on through us forever".

"We can all just aspire to be more like dad and just do everything in life that he would have done and look at challenges in the way dad would have done and turn things that aren't so positive into positives."

A spokeswoman for the BBC press office said: "He was a wonderful colleague and leader, and we are deeply shocked and saddened by his loss.

"All our thoughts are with his family."