THE body found in woodland near a reservoir in Devon was confirmed as that of missing Gwent man Joel Andrews last night.

Mr Andrews’ family were told about the discovery of a body in woodland close to the Fernworthy Reservoir, Devon, on Sunday.

A post mortem examination was carried out yesterday before his family were told of the confirmed identity.

Mr Andrews had been missing since May 22 and over the past few weeks his family and girlfriend have made emotional appeals for help in finding him.

More than 11,100 people had joined the group set up on social networking site Facebook in a bid to find him and yesterday, Mr Andrews’ sister, Carleigh Deakin, started a tribute page ‘In Loving Memory of Joel Andrews.’ Within hours, there were more than 100 tributes to the former Llanwern steelworker, of Caldicot, who was last seen around six weeks ago.

Some of them read; “R.I.P Joel – thoughts are with your family at this sad time,” “R.I.P Joel my thoughts are with all the family at this sad and painful time,” “R .i.p Joel its true to say only the good die young. Sweet dreams, such sad sad news. Love to family.”

Another Facebook user, described the news as “everybody’s worse nightmare”

The family campaigned extensively in order to get people to come forward with any information which might help in the search for Mr Andrews. His friends and family joined police search teams in the area following his disappearance and they even distributed posters around Glastonbury ahead of the music festival in the hope that people would come forward.

Mr Andrews’ mum Tracey Reid, 46, last month told the Argus how Mr Andrews had recently moved back home to Caldicot to be close to his family after living and working in Bristol setting up a sound system business called Kaotic.

On June 26, his family celebrated his 25th birthday in his absence and his girlfriend, Sara Bannister, 22, from the Forest of Dean, described the time since he had gone missing as a “nightmare.”