Felix Marr

The body of a Woodford Green man missing since setting out on a mountain hike in northern Italy has been found, his family say.

A posting on a Facebook page set up to find Felix Marr reads: “We have been informed by the police that dad’s body was found late on Saturday night.

“They say he fell off a ten metre cliff on a mountain called Monte Luppia, which is in the North East of Garda.”

The 64-year-old had been missing since August 10 and was understood to have gone hiking on La Rocca, a mountain in Lake Garda in Verona.

Police had traced his last text message to that area and sniffer dogs had been used to try and locate him while his family flew out to join in the search.

The statement posted to Facebook adds: “We are simply devastated. We are struggling to take this terrible news in. We cannot picture what happened that evening at all.

“Thank you so much to everyone who to LA Protezione Civile, (the incredible Mountain Rescue Volunteers) who overcame obstacles to give up their time to look for him.

“We are so heartened by your generosity and determination to help visitors to your country.

“A massive thank you also to everyone else – all our Italian friends, and friends and family abroad who in many different ways have been supporting us and helping us get through this nightmarish ordeal.”