Body found in search for missing Brit who disappeared from holiday hotspot

A body has been found in the search for a missing British tourist who disappeared from his Spanish hotel over the weekend, police have confirmed.

Authorities say they have yet to formally identity the man, who was found dead yesterday in woods near the Costa Brava resort of Lloret de Mar. UK holidaymaker Josh Rogers has been missing for several days.

Local reports indicated that investigators suspect the body could be Josh's. Well-placed sources confirmed this afternoon they were still awaiting the results of tests to officially establish who the dead man was, but admitted it was “highly likely” it was the British tourist.

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Josh, from Bloxwich near Walsall in the West Midlands, had been posting online about his holiday to Lloret. He published a photo of a glass of Strongbow cider while he was at JD Wetherspoons at Birmingham Airport on Friday, the day he left the UK for Spain.

He said: “Get me on that plane.” He then added in a second post alongside plane and beer emoticons: “Get me away.”

Appearing to show he was looking forward to the start of his holiday, by starting to pack more than a week before he was due to leave, he said in another post nine days before he got on his plane: “There’s my toiletries packed and a couple of bits. Roll on next Friday. Get me on that plane.”

Days later he posted an RIP tribute to boxer Ricky Hatton who was found dead at his Hyde home on September 14.

A desperate search for him was launched by his loved ones following his disappearance. One worried relative wrote in a local English language Facebook group yesterday: “Can everyone please share. This is Josh Rogers, he's gone on holiday to Lloret de Mar in Spain and hasn't been seen or heard from in three days. His phone is off and all his belongings are still in his hotel room but he hasn't been back there for three days.”

Appearing to indicate West Midlands Police had been informed, the relative added: “Spanish and British police are aware Josh is missing. Let's share share and share this and get Josh found. Something’s not right and his family and friends are worried sick.”

Another appeal by a woman describing herself as a cousin was removed shortly after news started to emerge that a body had been found in the same resort where Josh went missing. The grim discovery was made yesterday around 7pm by a man walking in woods near a residential estate just outside Lloret de Mar’s town centre.

Police, firefighters and emergency medical responders were sent to the scene. It is not yet clear what the cause of death was but police sources said this afternoon there were no obvious signs of violence on the body. While police in the UK are understood to have been made aware of the discovery, and informed Josh’s loved ones, in case it is confirmed the body found is his.

On Saturday, Spanish police found the body of a British man who went missing on the Costa del Sol last month. Andrew Wade, 65, was last seen on August 15 with friends saying after he left his home near Marbella they were extremely worried something bad had happened to him.

Around midday, National Police officers who had been participating in a search for him said they had found a body thought to be his in an area called Paraiso near Estepona. Drones were used in the hunt to find Mr Wade, who cops said had been preparing to move back to the UK when he vanished.

Another Brit, 76-year Clifford Wildgoose, vanished in the early hours of Saturday morning from a bar in Puerto Banus near Marbella. The retired property developer, originally from Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside, Greater Manchester but now living in Whitby in North Yorkshire, was recognised late on Sunday by an American tourist who had seen social media appeals by the missing man’s family. Mr Wildgoose has now flown back to the UK after being taken to hospital in Spain.