POLICE searching for a missing Scots psychiatric nurse have found a body in his home town.

David Paterson, 52, the husband of a family doctor, was reported missing after he failed to return to his Falkirk home.

It emerged that although he had left home as usual in the morning, he never arrived at his workplace and it was believed he was not carrying his mobile phone.

A major search involving a rescue helicopter and police dogs was launched following his disappearance and officers found a body.

Mr Paterson was last spotted at 5.30pm last Monday near the town centre and police released CCTV footage of the nurse.

Mr Paterson has worked as a psychiatric nurse in the NHS Forth Valley area for 15 years and has been married to Dr Gayle Paterson, a GP based at Tryst Medical Centre in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk, for 26 years. Dr Paterson raised the alarm after realising her husband had not returned from work.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: "Police officers engaged in the search for missing person David Paterson yesterday recovered a body in the Falkirk area.

"Formal identification has still to take place and further details will be released in due course.

"David's family are being kept informed of developments."