Body found in hunt for missing man

Police inform pensioner William Clark’s family of Tay discovery

A major search operation saw a tragic end in Perth when a body was found in the city yesterday.

Police issued an urgent appeal for help in tracing 71-year-old William Clark after he went missing from the city’s Muirhall Road on Saturday evening.

Officers and fire crews used specialist equipment to scour the banks of the River Tay in the city centre throughout the day.

A bomb disposal squad was summoned after a device was found during the hunt. A body was located at 2.30pm.

A police spokesman said: “Formal identification has yet to take place. However, the family of Billy Clark have been informed.”

A major search operation reached a tragic conclusion in Perth yesterday when a body was found in the city centre.

Emergency personnel spent most of the day scouring the banks of the River Tay alongside Tay Street, as part of the search to find missing 71-year-old William Clark, of Muirhall Road.

Police Scotland later confirmed that a body had been found as part of the search at 2.30pm.

He had been reported missing at around 7.20pm on Saturday.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland’s Tayside Division said: “As part of searches to trace William Clark, known as Billy, aged 71, who was reported missing from the Muirhall Road area of Perth on Saturday, police can confirm that a body has been found.

“Formal identification is yet to take place. However, the family of Billy Clark have been informed.”

The announcement brought a sad ending to a day which saw emergency services descend on the city centre.

Seven fire units spent around six hours scouring the River Tay.

Fire crews were seen in wet suits searching the northern banks of the Tay, along with firefighters located near the rail bridge to the south of the river, before they finished their operation around 2.30pm.

The seven fire units included a technical rescue unit, water rescue unit and emergency personnel also deployed trained rescue dogs in the widespread operation.

Police were also in attendance at the scene.

At one stage a bomb disposal unit was also summoned when a suspect item was discovered but it proved to be a false alarm.

Picture: Perthshire Picture Agency. Members of the search team on the River Tay before the tragic find.

Picture: Perthshire Picture Agency. Water rescue specialists from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Pictures: Perthshire Picture Agency. The operation was searching for missing pensioner William Clark.