Police say they believe the man's body found in the river Severn at Worcester on Saturday morning is that of missing man Stuart Pickup

It was discovered in the water near Worcester Rowing Club, Grandstand Road, by a rower at about 9.45am.

Police said that formal identification had not yet taken place but they believed it was Mr Pickup and his family had been informed of the developments. They said their thoughts were with them at this time.

Mr Pickup, aged 37, of Himbleton, near Worcester, was last seen at work in London on Monday.

He is thought to have caught the train from the capital to High Wycombe, where he had parked his car earlier that morning, before driving back to Worcestershire in the evening.

The vehicle, a black BMW Z4 registration KT59 UHL, has also not been found and Police are asking for the public's help to try to trace it.

Concerned friends of the former Worcester News employee have taken to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to share information about Mr Pickup and they believe his car was last seen turning off the northbound M40 near Warwick at about 9pm on Monday.

A fire crew and ambulance were also in attendance while the riverside walkway was cordoned off as the body was retrieved.