A body found in the River Wharfe is believed to be that of a 30-year-old York man who was reported to have fallen off the river bridge in Tadcaster a month ago.

A police dog handler searching the river discovered the body - understood to be that of Paul David Butterfield - up against the river bank about three quarters of a mile down river from Tadcaster.

The officer spotted the body at about 3pm yesterday after it had got caught in some bushes opposite Grimston Park Garden Centre.

The underwater search unit from York was called in and recovered the body, which was then taken to York District Hospital.

Home Office pathologist Dr Guy Rutty, from Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital, will carry out a post-mortem today to establish the cause of death.

North Yorkshire Coroner, Jeremy Cave, has been informed. It is understood the body will have to be identified through dental records.

Mr Butterfield disappeared at about 7pm on Tuesday March 7 after horrified passers-by reported seeing him fall off the bridge into the fast-flowing Wharfe.

Detective Sergeant Steve Taylor, of Selby CID, said they were assuming it was Mr Butterfield, and they had been in touch with the family at their home in a village near Tadcaster.

Mr Butterfield lived in a house at Stutton before moving recently to a flat in Acomb, York.

It is believed he used to work as assistant manager at William Hill's bookmakers shop in Tadcaster.

His disappearance triggered a huge search involving police frogmen and dog section, and a helicopter from West Yorkshire Police.

Several witnesses said they saw Mr Butterfield sitting on the bridge parapet and in the swollen river.

Three days after Mr Butterfield went missing, police announced that a 31-year-old woman had been arrested and questioned about the fall, and also about an incident in nearby Bridge Street. She was then released on police bail until April 14.

Chief Inspector Ron Johnson said today that investigations were continuing into whether the incident was suspicious or not.

He said: "Nothing has changed until we confirm the identity of the body and the cause of death."

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