Police have found a body in the search for Sebastian Sailes, 21, who disappeared after leaving a pub in Chippenham last month.

A body has been found in the search for Sebastian Sailes, the 21-year-old university student who vanished after walking home from a pub in Chippenham on 27 February.

Sailes was last seen leaving the Black Horse Pub around 11:30pm, with CCTV footage capturing him heading towards Lovers Walk. Police and rescue teams focused their search on the River Avon, fearing he may have fallen in while making his way home to Notton, Wakefield.

For weeks, officers, search volunteers, and specialist rescue teams combed the area for any sign of the missing student. On Wednesday, Wiltshire Police confirmed that a body had been recovered, though formal identification is pending.

Superintendent James Brain called the discovery “devastating”, extending his condolences to Sailes’ grieving family, who described him as a “much-loved son”.

Authorities have asked the public and media to respect the family’s privacy as they await official confirmation of his identity.