Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has paid tribute to his 'brilliant friend', TV scriptwriter Nick Fisher. 

It comes after a body was found near Dorchester in the search for Nick, 63, who was last seen  
in the village of Hooke, near Beaminster, on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 15.

Extensive searches were carried out by police and Dorset Search and Rescue (DorSAR). 

Sadly, the body of a man was found yesterday morning. 

While formal identification is yet to take place, police say the body is believed to be that of Nick Fisher and his family has been informed.

Nick, a well-known writer, has credits in film, radio, stage, print journalism and books.

He presented Screaming Reels and worked alongside Fearnley-Whittingstall many times, co-authoring The River Cottage Book of Fish. 

In 2006, he was awarded a BAFTA for ITV children's drama The Giblet Boys.

Fearnley-Whittingstall aided an appeal on social media to find Nick, who he described as his 'very dearest friend.'

Yesterday, he tweeted: "[Nick] was always full of insight and compassion, which is what made him such a great writer and broadcaster, as well as a brilliant friend.

"His lovely family and his many friends are missing him terribly."

He continued: "Nick was the best person to spend time with, especially on a boat. We talked about fishing endlessly, but we also talked about life, a subject on which Nick was an expert because he had lived so much of it.

"I can’t believe it’s over, but many wonderful memories live on."

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Nick at this extremely difficult time.

"We would like to thank everyone who assisted with the searches, as well as the public for their help in providing information."