Riddle of the body in the pond

A post-mortem examination was being carried out on the body today in a bid to establish identity and the cause of death.

The search for Mr Hutchison, 50, took a dramatic turn on Friday, just 24 hours after police searched his home at Allangate Drive, Rustington, where he was last seen alive on November 18.

Specialist search team members and forensic officers conducted a search inside and outside the house.

Detectives also arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with Mr Hutchison's disappearance. He was later released on bail.

Police said there had been growing concern for Mr Hutchison's welfare, as he had been no confirmed sightings of him since the evening of November 18.

Then, on Friday, the body was found in a pond, in the large garden of a house at East Preston.

A police spokesman said yesterday: "Police can confirm that the body of a man has been found at East Preston. At this time it is too early to confirm the identity, but it is believed to be Andrew Hutchison, of Rustington."

The spokesman added that, because of the body's decomposed state, there could be a delay in establishing the cause of death and identification.