EMERGENCY services have recovered the body of a man believed to be missing Francis Young.

A member of the public reported seeing a person floating in Soudley Ponds just before 4pm yesterday.

Police called out Cinderford firefighters who retrieved a dead man from the well-known beauty spot.

Supt Phil Haynes said: "We responded to a call stating that there was a body in the water. The coroner has been informed."

In recent weeks search parties have been scouring the woodlands around the pond for Mr Young, who went missing on

April 9.

But despite bringing in specially trained sniffer dogs, they failed to find the 62-year-old from Soudley.