River Wear body was missing pensioner Billy Jones

Nov 10 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

A BODY recovered from the River Wear in Durham was that of missing pensioner Billy Jones, police have confirmed.

The retired miner had been missing from his home six miles away in Derwent Road, Ferryhill, County Durham, since Friday, October 16 when he went out for his normal daily walk.

Durham police had co-ordinated one of the county's biggest and longest lasting search operations in a bid to find the 88-year-old, whose body was recovered on Sunday.

Beat officers, specialist dog and police search units and volunteers from search and rescue teams, as well as a helicopter from RAF Boulmer, were involved in the search.

Inquiries also included checks by the British Transport Police on nearby railway lines, officers spending more than two weeks viewing CCTV footage from both council and private sources; and visits to old addresses, former places of work, relatives and hospitals. Mr Jones’ son and daughter, Glynn Jones and Jan Johnson, made an emotional public appeal for help last month.

They said their father had a poor sense of direction and may have become disorientated.

Sadly, on Sunday officers were called to the river in the Framwellgate and Millburngate area of Durham City to reports of a body in the water.

A fire and rescue crew helped to retrieve the body at around 11.15am. A police spokesman said that a relative had yesterday formally identified the body.

He said the death was not being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem will be carried out today to establish the cause of his death.

Where Mr Jones entered the water, or how he travelled to Durham is now unlikely to be discovered.

It is thought his body had been in the water for at least two weeks.

Mr Jones is survived by a wife, Jenny – to whom he had been married for 67 years – Glynn, of Ferryhill, Jan, of Spennymoor, and four grandchildren.