POLICE believe the body of a young man pulled out of the River Thames is that of Paul Cousins, reported missing from the Runcorn area.

The 25-year-old's body was recovered by detectives at about noon on Wednesday, after an extensive air and sea rescue search ended at Teddington Lock in Surrey.

Paul, who lived in Thames Ditton and worked as a carpenter, had been missing for almost three weeks before reportedly drowning.

Vital clues emerged when police found a pellet gun in his clothing shortly after he was spotted jumping into the river - having left the scene of a multiple car-crash.

The incident also led to an urgent witness appeal after he was followed by two men in a Volkswagen Polo.

However, a spokeswoman for Surrey Police ruled out any suspicious circumstances leading up to his death.

She said: 'The family are far too upset to identify the body at the moment, but police are confident it is Paul Cousins.

'Police assisted in consistent information gathering over a two and a half week period, and the information will shortly be passed on to the coroner.

'A post-mortem examination has been carried out.

'We don't know why he was carrying a B-B gun with him, but it is not illegal and he just happened to have it with him.'

Paul's disappearance is the second tragedy to beset his family, who lost a second son to a car crash in 1981.

Paul was due to join London Fire Service as a firefighter just last week, and had been living in Runcorn for three years before moving down south.

Last week, an appeal to find Paul's whereabouts by his family read: 'Mum could never cope with the loss of another son. Our hearts are breaking without you.'

Paul's dad Stephen is still registered as living at Cawdor Street in Runcorn Old Town.

Police are now treating the incident as a tragic accident, and a date for his inquest is yet to be set.