A body which was recovered from the River Gipping in Ipswich at the weekend has been identified as a 63-year-old missing man.

Julian De Bono went missing in Ipswich in the early hours of Sunday, December 10.

He was dropped off by a taxi in Lloyds Avenue at about 12.30am and remained in the area until about 12.37am, before he was further seen heading towards the St Matthew's Street roundabout.

A final sighting of Mr De Bono took place at 1.55am on Yarmouth Road.

Extensive searches took place in Ipswich last week and on Saturday afternoon a specialist underwater team discovered the body of a man in the River Gipping.

A Home Office post-mortem conducted on Monday has provisionally confirmed that the body pulled from the river is that of Mr De Bono. 

While the Home Office pathologist awaits the results of the toxicology before formally confirming cause of death, early indications are consistent with drowning.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious and there are no indications of any third-party involvement.

Mr De Bono's disappearance was described as "out of character" by Suffolk police.

"He has never been reported missing before," said Chief Inspector Richard Burton last Friday.

"As a 63-year-old he has lived here for a number of years.

"The fact he has never been reported missing before, regardless of the circumstances having been out that evening, this is out of character for him not to have returned home and not to have gone to work."

The search for Mr De Bono was concentrated on the area where the River Gipping meets Yarmouth Road, with a major search and rescue mission launched two days after his last sighting.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr De Bono's disappearance and a file is being prepared for the coroner.