A body feared to be that of a British tourist who disappeared from his Spanish hotel at the weekend has been found in woodland near the spot where he was last seen.
Police say they have yet to formally establish the identity of the man found dead near the Costa Brava resort of Lloret de Mar on Tuesday.
But local reports revealed investigators suspect he may be UK holidaymaker Josh Rogers, from Walsall, whose loved ones have launched social media appeals for information on his whereabouts after he vanished from his hotel in the town.
Well-placed sources confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that they were still waiting for the results of tests to officially establish who the dead man was, but admitted it was ‘highly likely’ it was the British tourist.
A relative of Josh’s posted a desperate appeal in a local English language Facebook group on Tuesday, saying: ‘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.
A body feared to be that of missing British tourist Josh Rogers who disappeared from his Spanish hotel at the weekend has been found
Local reports say that investigators suspect the body may be that of UK holidaymaker Josh Rogers
‘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 a body had been found in the same resort Josh went missing in started emerging.
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, and said: ‘Get me on that plane.’
He 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.
The grim discovery of a body was made yesterday at 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 on Wednesday afternoon there were no obvious signs of violence on the body.
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 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 on Saturday 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-old 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.
