POLICE have found a body near a river during searches for a man who had been missing for more than seven weeks.
Robin Lewis, aged 78, from Cwmbran, was reported missing in mid-November after failing to return home. Gwent Police confirmed on Sunday (Jan 4) that a body had been discovered near the Afon Lwyd in the Ponthir area.
Although formal identification has not yet taken place, officers believe the body to be that of Mr Lewis. His family has been informed and the death is not being treated as suspicious.
Mr Lewis was last seen on Thursday, November 13. Police enquiries established that he was in Asda in Cwmbran at around 7:00pm before walking towards the town centre.
CCTV and witness information showed him in several locations before he was last seen near Morrisons petrol station at around 8.40pm. He was then observed turning on to Edlogan Way and crossing the railway bridge shortly before 8.50pm.
Later that evening, police received a report of a man entering the Afon Lwyd. A large-scale river search was carried out at the time involving police officers, HM Coastguard and volunteers, but no trace of him was found.
Search activity resumed in recent days, and on Sunday afternoon officers confirmed that a body had been located during renewed searches of the river.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: “We received a report that a body had been found near the Afon Lwyd in Ponthir on Sunday afternoon (January 4).
“Formal identification has not yet taken place, but the family of missing man Robin Lewis has been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious.
“Our thoughts are with Mr Lewis’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
