A body has been found in woods near Hythe this afternoon after a huge police search.

Dozens of officers were searching fields in an area in Thorn Wood this lunchtime after receiving reports a 55-year-old man from Folkestone had gone missing last night.

The police helicopter was also involved in the search circling the area just off the A20 near Sandling.

Officers received a call at 7.50pm yesterday evening following reports of a missing man.

At 1.25pm at lunchtime today, teams from Kent Search and Rescue found the body in woodland and alerted police.

A police spokesman said: "The family of the missing man has been informed and officers are not treating the death as suspicious."

In addition to the helicopter, at least 12 vehicles including a police Land Rover and van were at the scene.

Mavis Britcher, of Ashford Road (A20), Saltwood, first saw police in the area last night at around midnight.

She said: "I then saw police walking in the road this morning, which is unusual as they are normally in cars. They then searched a farm, and a cottage and then the cottage's garden.

"We are quite isolated here and didn't know what was going on.

"We would have appreciated a knock on the door and being told what was going on by the police."

The road was kept open during the search.

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