River body identified

The body of a man found in the River Severn earlier this week was today confirmed as that of missing Shropshire pensioner Ted Corbett.

Emergency services were in the water in Buildwas, near Ironbridge, for almost three hours on Tuesday evening after receiving reports of a body in the river. Mr Corbett, 66, disappeared on December 21 last year.

On the same day his brother John Corbett, 77, was found dead with stab wounds to his neck at the end terrace cottage the two brothers had shared for years together at The Nabb, in St Georges, Telford.

Police spokesman Chris Ammonds today said: "I can confirm that, as we suspected at the time, the body found in the river is that of Ted Corbett.

"The investigation into the two deaths is continuing but we are not looking for anyone else in connection with either of them."

Officers spent more than three days searching a section of the River Severn between Cressage and Ironbridge for Ted Corbett in December following a reported sighting of him and his car.

An inquest opened last month on John Corbett, a retired carpenter, revealed his death was caused by "blunt trauma to head and face and stab wounds to neck". It was adjourned for further investigations.