Spanish police given 72 more hours to question man in connection with John George death

Police in Spain have been given another 72 hours to question a man arrested in connection with the death of John George.

The father of two from Belfast was reported missing four days after he failed to board his flight home to Northern Ireland.

Mr George’s parents Billy and Sharon, brother Darren, and sisters Courtney and Caitlin, along with up to 50 friends and wider family from Northern Ireland, were involved in the search operation

Billy was told by Spanish police on Tuesday evening that they believed they had found his son’s body.

Billy told UTV that there was "happy tears, but also sad tears" when he received the news.

"No parent wants to hear that call, but without that call we were not getting John back," he said.

No details have yet been released on where the 37-year-old was found or how he met his death, with a postmortem examination set to be carried out.

Police in Northern Ireland have been assisting their Spanish counterparts with their investigation and had issued appeals for information after Mr George was reported missing.

The PSNI said it was made aware on Tuesday that a body recovered in Spain was believed to be that of Mr George.

Detective Inspector Jennifer Rea said her thoughts are with Mr George’s family and reiterated an appeal for information.

“Our dedicated family liaison officers continue to provide support to the family, and we continue to work closely with international law enforcement agencies,” she said.

“I am keen to reiterate our appeal for anyone with information that could assist the Spanish investigation team with their inquiries to please contact us on 101.”

Catch up with the latest UTV Live on ITVX

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.