A body has been found in a Spanish mountain range where a County Durham hiker went missing more than a week ago.

Michael Egglestone was reported missing on June 2 after disappearing while out hiking in mountains near Alicante, in Costa Blanca.

The former soldier’s wife, Janice, returned to the family home in Nettlesworth, Chester-le-Street, last night.

Families in the village of Benichembla, Costa Blanca, where Mr Egglestone had been on holiday, said they had been told by the Guardia Civil that a body had been discovered on the mountains, but not yet identified.

The body has been transferred to the coastal town of Denia, where a post-mortem examination could be carried out and the formal identification could take place.

Villagers around the holiday villa rented by the couple say that search party numbers have been reduced, from groups of more than 30, including helicopters and sniffer dogs, to just a handful of officers on foot.

Lem Goode, manager at el Gat bar, said: “No one knows for sure what’s happening.

“Everyone just hopes the body isn’t the missing walker. We all want to believe that he’s out there somewhere, that he’s still alive.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson yesterday said that the situation remained unchanged and they were providing the family consular assistance.

Mr Egglestone’s family have been too upset to talk about his disappearance.

via Body found in hunt for missing holidaymaker – Sunderland Echo .