A POLICE helicopter searching the River Usk at Newport for a missing pensioner found a body at low tide yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to a bend in the river near Clipper Close, St Julians, Newport, to retrieve the body from the muddy water.

The body lay a mile downstream from The Ship Inn, Caerleon, where on Tuesday police found the car of missing Donald Willis, 75, of Caerlicken Lane, Langstone.

Mr Willis, a retired butcher, went missing on Tuesday morning after setting off to pick up his newspapers from a garage in Langstone.

His family became concerned when he failed to return and contacted police, who found his car at the Caerleon pub and then mounted a helicopter search. The body has not yet been identified but police said they are not treating the discovery as suspicious.

Fire crews from Malpas and Maindee laid two inflatable walkways across the deep, soft mud to reach the body.

A 4x4 vehicle from Maindee accompanied two engines from Malpas, but its light inflatable boat was not used.

Malpas Station Officer Jeff Scrivens said: "Working near water is a risky business, some firefighters used dry suits and lifejackets. The tide was going out and it was a tricky job. "Recovering a body is unpleasant but it's something crews had prepared themselves for." The body was held on the bankside by police until a doctor and undertaker arrived.