Police searching for missing football fan Colin Pine have found a body.

At 11.03am this morning (Saturday, January 17) police recieved a report from a member of the public that a man's body had been found on the south bank of the River Wear by St Lukes Road in Sunderland.

It was recovered from mud banks near the concrete tug  ‘Cretehawser’. 

Paul Nicholson, Press Officer at Sunderland RNLI said: “We worked closely with the police officers at the scene to ensure that the correct procedures were followed to allow their investigations to take place once the body was taken ashore."

The 55-year-old father from Washington, failed to return home after telling his family he was going out to watch the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday, December 21.

Witnesses said that Mr Pine, from Ennerdale in the Albany area of Washington, watched the match in The Swan pub in Heworth.

His mobile phone was in the Washington area at just before 6pm on Sunday, December 21 and extensive searches involving specialist marine officers, dog section and mounted unit, as well as specially trained volunteers from Northumbria Mountain Rescue Service, took place  throughout the Christmas holidays.