THE body of a man was found in the River Ray on Saturday just hours after a 27-year-old was reported missing.

John Shailes was last seen with his friends near the lake in Mouldon Hill country park at 8pm on Friday. They had been in the Tawny Owl pub shortly before.

This sparked a large-scale search operation of Mouldon Lake with Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Search and Rescue and the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service looking around the lake and surrounding area for several hours.

The search was stopped at around 4pm after a body was found in the River Ray, just metres from where he had last been seen.

Formal identification of the body has not yet been completed, but the 27-year-old’s family has been informed of the development.

The investigation into the circumstances of the death of the man found is continuing but Wiltshire Police said it is not treating it as suspicious at this stage.

A full file will be completed on behalf of H M Coroner for Wiltshire.

Inspector Paul Hawkins said: “We are investigating the circumstances of the death and are still appealing for information from anyone who saw John.”

John was out with friends on Friday night and had been drinking at the Tawny Owl Pub.

He and his friends then went to Mouldon Hill lake and he was last seen in the area at approximately 8pm after going into the water for a swim.

Friend James Ricketts, 26, was not with John on Friday night but helped to search for him.

He said: “My friend rang me late on and told me that they couldn’t find him after he had gone for a dip and they came back.

“He said that he saw him get into the water while he sat there but he didn’t come back.

“This was at about 8pm he went missing and my friend saw me at about 10pm and said he had gone missing.

“We came back down here in the car at about 3 or 4am and were walking around the lake trying to find him.

“That is when we called the police to let them know what had happened.

“I went home and I couldn’t really sleep.

“I have known him for years and he was never down so this is out of character for him.”

In the wake of the incident, Wiltshire Police are asking the public to take care when using lakes and rivers in the county during the hot weather.

Inspector Hawkins said: “The depth of the water can be deceiving and even experienced swimmers can get into difficulty.

“There may be hidden dangers such as sharp objects or strong currents and it is important we raise these concerns and encourage parents to highlight the risks to children.”

Anyone who may have information about the incident is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101.