Police call off search as body found in hunt for missing student Charley Gadd

Officers have called off the search in a missing person investigation following the discovery of a body believed to be 20-year-old Charley Gadd.

An investigation was launched after Charley was reported missing on 11 December after he attended Warehouse Project with his parents.

Sadly, just after 11.30am today (10 January 2022), officers were called to a report of a body found in Manchester Ship Canal.

The body has not yet been formally identified, but it is thought to be Charley.

His family are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time.

There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances and a report is being prepared for HM Coroner.

Charley was last seen just before 1.15am on Saturday December 11 outside the Royal Exchange Theatre, walking in the direction of St Annes Street.

His family had spent hours searching for Charley before reporting him as missing to the police.

The young man, who was wearing a red jacket and blue jeans, had attended a Warehouse Project event but was reported missing afterwards

His family had shared a heartfelt plea to social media urging people to report any sightings of Charley, but tragically made little headway.

Officers had also used specialist teams and divers to search the water near to the Lowry hotel, to no avail.

Speaking at the time his father Jolyon Gadd had told the Manchester Evening News: “We were out with Charley on Friday night and Saturday morning on the 11 December and had a lovely time together.

“We were near the Spar Store in St Mary’s Gate at around 1.10am when Charley ran off. We spent many hours then and later in the early hours looking for him before reporting him missing to the police around 11am.

“Charley is not familiar with Manchester and may have got lost and not been able to find his way back to his hotel.

“Charley is a very bright, warm, funny and loving man who everybody hugely enjoys being around.

“He is in the second year of a film and media degree course at the University of Essex in Colchester where he is well liked and flat shares with friends.

“We have heard nothing from him since he ran off and my wife and I and his brothers Bruno and Rufus are desperate for any news of him.”

Feature image – GMP