Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a North East man after it was confirmed his body had been found in the Swiss Alps three months after he went missing while solo hiking.  

Aidan Roche, 29, from Middlesbrough, was last heard from in the Grindelwald area of the Alps on June 22, when he was midway through a two-week camping and hiking trip.

Authorities launched a search for the missing chemical engineer after he lost contact on the Eiger Trail, while friends rallied around his family helping raise nearly £2,000 to help in the search. 

The Northern Echo: Aidan Roche Aidan Roche (Image: Family photograph)

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His elder brother Connor Roche, who praised police and mountain rescue teams for their searches, had also been in Switzerland walking the route to try and find a trace of him.

But Connor has now confirmed that police last week, tragically found Aidan near the trail he was walking.

Paying tribute, Connor said: "I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped support our family through these last few months.

The Northern Echo:

"The news has hit us all hard, family and friends alike, even though this outcome has always been in our minds.

"To everyone who shared his story, sent messages of support or donations, you have our deepest gratitude.

"£Everyone who knew Aidan knew that he was a character.

"We can see from the outpouring of support in trying to find him just how loved he was, and how much he will be missed by so many people. He will always be in the memories of family and friends."

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Connor previously described his adventurous as an experienced camper and hiker who had bought a campervan for his Swiss trip in 2020 - but his plans had been delayed by the pandemic.

Aidan constantly sent pictures and videos to friends while walking and the alarm was raised when nothing was heard from him for a while.

His last picture was sent from about halfway down the Eiger Trail, a popular walking route, on the afternoon of June 22.