Man's body pulled from river North Esk near Dalkeith

The body of a man has been recovered from a river in Midlothian.

Published 30th Apr 2016

The body of a man has been recovered from a river in Midlothian.

A member of the public spotted the body in the River North Esk, near Dalkeith, and raised the alarm with police.

Formal identification has not yet taken place but officers said the family of missing pensioner Thomas Davidson has been informed.

The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time.

An extensive search operation, involving specialist dog teams and foot patrols, was launched earlier in the week to trace Mr Davidson, 73.

He was last seen on Esk Place, Dalkeith, at around 9pm on Tuesday and was walking in the direction of Lugton Brae.

Officers were alerted to the body find shortly before 6.30pm on Friday.

Inspector Stuart Aitchison, based in Dalkeith, said: "Sadly a body has been recovered from the River North Esk.

"A formal identification is yet to take place, however, we have been in contact with the family of Thomas Davidson and made them aware of this development.

"Our inquiries are at an early stage however we will continue to offer the family support as and when they need it.''