A Swindon man who went missing from a boat in the Severn estuary has been found dead. 

The alarm was raised just before 11am today when it was noticed no-one was aboard a sailing vessel on the St Pierre Pill, near Chepstow, south Wales.

Swansea Coastguard said the boat's owner had been on board Friday evening doing some work and had agreed to meet a friend the next day.

However, the man was nowhere to be seen the following morning.

Among those joining the hunt are coastguards and the multi-agency Severn Area Rescue Association.

A spokesman said it was believed the missing man had been the only person aboard the sailing vessel.

The St Pierre Pill overlooks the second Severn Bridge and is an anchorage for boats on the nearby estuary. It is also the base for the Chepstow and District Yacht Club.