POLICE have confirmed the body of a man found on the beach at the weekend is that of a fisherman who went missing nearby.

George Darbyshire, 61 from Blackhall, east Durham, disappeared on Tuesday last week when he failed to return home from a day's fishing on the beach at the east coast was found at Horden.

His wife Rose, 62, said she hadn't heard from him since noon on Tuesday when he called to say he was heading home from the beach at Blackhall Rocks.

A major search for him was carried out over several days involving officers from Durham Constabulary and British Transport Police, staff from HM Coastguard, the RNLI, Air Sea Rescue and volunteers from local Search and Rescue teams.

Searchers scoured the cliffs, beaches and caves between Grants Houses and Easington Colliery. It was thought he had been fishing at Blackhall or slightly further up the coast, near Horden.

On Thursday last week what was thought to be Mr Darbyshire's fishing gear was recovered from the beach.

And then shortly before 2pm yesterday his body was washed up on the shore about half-a-mile from Horden Point.

A member of his family carried out the formal identification procedure earlier today.

A post-mortem examination will now be held to establish a formal cause of death.

Police are not treating Mr Darbyshire's death as suspicious.

Detective Constable Clare Neill, the family liaison officer in the case, said: "Mr Darbyshire's family have asked me to pass on their appreciation for all the efforts made by the various agencies involved in the search.

"The coroner will be holding an inquest in due course to establish how his death occurred, but there are no suspicious circumstances."

A former miner, Mr Darbyshire worked as a security officer for digger and excavation maker Komatsu.

His wife, Rose, was too upset to speak today.