A body found in a ditch is that of a missing County Durham man, it was revealed yesterday.

Craig Foreman disappeared from his home in Denecrest, Medomsley, near Consett, on in the early hours of Saturday, October 26.

A walker stumbled across the body in dense undergrowth, in a ditch at the side of a remote country lane, on Monday morning.

Police were called to the scene on the B6310, on the outskirts of Shotley Bridge, near Consett, County Durham and just 200 yards from the tiny community of Daisy Hill.

The body was badly decomposed and detectives believe it had lain there for some time.

Detective Chief Inspector Ronnie Vine, of Derwentside CID, launched an investigation following the find, but confirmed yesterday that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Foreman's death.

Experts at Shotley Bridge Hospital were treating him for mental health problems prior to his disappearance and he was thought to be depressed at the time he went missing.

His disappearance led to weeks of searching the area around his home, in an operation that included the police dog section and volunteers from Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team.

Samples taken from the body have been sent to forensic science laboratories, where it is hoped tests will establish a cause of death.