POLICE have confirmed the identity of a body that was found on Monmouth Beach at Lyme Regis last Thursday morning.

Devon & Cornwall Police say the body has been identified as that of 53-year-old Paul Whatley who had been missing from his home in Exeter.

The death is currently being treated as non-suspicious and a file for the coroner has been prepared, a spokesman said.

Mr Whatley’s next of kin have been informed and formal identification has been carried out.

Mr Whatley was last seen at his home in Topsham Road, Exeter in the early hours of last Tuesday.

The search for him then moved from Exeter to the resort of Dawlish as it was thought he was he may have been in the Dawlish town centre and seafront area during the daytime.