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Missing man's family 'heartbroken' after body found

Family Handout/PA Wire Darren and John George looking into the camera. John ( on the left) is wearing a dark suit, light coloured shirt and patterned tie. His brother is wearing a dark suit, dark bowtie and white shirt. Both men have white flowers on their left lapels and are smiling.Family Handout/PA Wire
Darren George (right) said he loved his big brother "with all of his heart"

The family of missing Belfast man John George have said they are heartbroken after a body was found in Spain.

The 37-year-old was last in touch with his family on 14 December when he drove from Alicante to Benidorm.

Spanish police said a 32-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Mr George's brother Darren said the last three weeks had been a "living nightmare".

"There are no words to describe what we've been going through as a family," he told BBC News NI.

Darren George sits while wearing a gold chain necklace with a cross on it and a black vest top.
Darren George knew something was wrong when his brother did not ring them

Mr George, who is in Spain, said he climbed mountains, and crawled through drain pipes and sewers to find his brother.

"I've done everything in my power to find my brother and it's absolutely heartbreaking," he added.

"No family deserved this, this has been a living nightmare."

Family handout John George wearing a green t-shirt and smiling at the camera. He has short light hair.Family handout
John George's family had been looking for him in Spain over the Christmas and New Year period

Darren George said the family started to panic on 18 December when his brother was not on his scheduled flight home from Spain.

"When John wasn't on the flight or answering his phone, we knew then," he added.

Members of the George family then travelled to Spain to search for him.

They were assisted by Northern Ireland-based canine search team K9 Search and Rescue NI, who returned at the weekend.

A map of the coast of Spain showing the locations of Benidorm, Alicante and Rojales

On Tuesday, the family's solicitor Kevin Winters said the missing man's father, Billy George, received a call from Spanish police at about 17:00 to tell them remains had been recovered.

Formal DNA identification is still to take place, but it is understood through clothing and tattoos, that Mr George's family believe it is the missing father-of-two.

According to reports by Spanish media, a body was discovered among some trees on a farm at Rojales, about 45 minutes south of Alicante.

The family are due to formally identify the body on Wednesday.

Family Handout/PA Wire Four people are looking into the camera. The man on the left has a ginger beard and is wearing a dark t-shirt. Beside him is a blonde-haired woman wearing a green strappy dress and smiling into the camera. She has large square-shaped diamante earrings. Another blonde woman is bedside her. She is also smiling and is wearing a white strappy dress. John George is on the right of the picture. He is wearing a pink short sleeved t-shirt with a navy collar.Family Handout/PA Wire
Siblings Darren, Courtney, Caitlyn and John George (far right)

Darren George, 34, said his parents were "two broken people".

"They will never get over this, none of us will get over it," he added.

"We will be ok, John's at rest... we're not, we'll never be at rest."

Darren said his big brother was "no angel" but was someone he looked up to.

"He tortured me and I apparently tortured him, but I loved him with all of my heart and I'll never forget him," he said.

'I came out to get John'

Billy George stands in the middle of the street looking at the camera. He is bald and is wearing a navy blue tshirt. The background behind him is blurred.
Billy George was the first of the family members to head to Spain

John's father Billy George travelled to Spain a week after he last heard from his son.

He said he had walked up to eight hours a day over the last three weeks in search of his son.

"I came out to get John and I've got John," he said. "We're bringing him back home where he belongs."

The rest of the family bought one-way tickets three days before Christmas to join the search.

"Christmas Day people [are] unwrapping their presents, having Christmas dinner, cheering and laughing," he added.

"Me and my wife, two daughters and a son are standing in a middle of a field searching, crying."

After the news that a body had been found, Billy George said there were "happy and sad tears".

"Happy I found him, sad that I'll never see him again," he said.

He thanked people back in Northern Ireland for their support and said the priority now was to bring his son back to Northern Ireland.

"His poor mother is broken," he added.

"He was the oldest and he was just loved by everyone."