THE body of a diver missing since this morning has been found, police say.

       The man, believed to be in his 40s, was located in the water off the Isle of Portland, Dorset, about 3.40pm today.

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       The body of a diver missing since this morning has been found, police say, file picture from 2020

       His next of kin have been informed and the coroner has been notified of the Hampshire man's death.

       The discovery came more than five hours after he was reported missing, triggering a massive air and sea search.

       Coastguard helicopters and lifeboats were called in to find the underwater explorer just after 10am when he failed to return to a boat.

       The dive vessel was found two nautical miles south east of Portland Bill, which sits at the southern tip of the Isle of Portland.

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       A lifeboat from Weymouth was also scrambled to assist the Coastguard and ships in the English Channel joined the hunt.

       The seabed around Portland is littered with shipwrecks and planes, attracting thousands of divers a year to the underwater graveyards.

       The Maritime and Coastguard Agency previously said: "Alerted at around 10am, Coastguard helicopters and lifeboats from Weymouth, Exmouth and Swanage have been sent to conduct searches of the area.

       "Vessels in the vicinity of the area have also been assisting with the search."

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