Police searching for the missing niece of a Scottish politician on the Isle of Wight have found a body.


However they say they are not treating the death of the 22 year old zoology graduate as suspicious.


Police officers and volunteers have been carrying out extensive searches of the area following the disappearance of Rosie Johnson, the niece of Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern.

Read more: Fears for Scottish Politician's niece
Ms Johnson, from Glasgow, went missing on Sunday evening from the PGL Little Canada activity centre in Wootton, on the island, where she worked.


A Hampshire Police spokesman said: “Officers searching for missing Rosie Johnson on the Isle of Wight have found a body of a woman in Wootton this afternoon.


“Formal identification procedures are ongoing but Rosie’s next of kin have been made aware of the discovery.


“At this stage, the death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.”


Mr Johnson tweeted yesterday evening, asking for the family’s privacy to be respected. He said: “The information from the Police this afternoon is clearly deeply upsetting. I thank everyone for their continued messages of support.


“Our thoughts must be with Rosie’s immediate family and I ask that their privacy is respected.”


Wootton is one of the largest villages on the Isle of Wight. A massive air and land search operation was launched after the Glasgow University graduate vanished earlier this week. When she failed to turn up for work and could not be located, police said they had ‘serious concerns’ as she left without a phone or purse. However, the force said information gathered suggested she had not been the victim of a crime. 


Reports have suggested she may have been in  a distressed state following an argument with a colleague, but Police have not confirmed this. Her family said her failure to stay in touch was completely out of character. 

Read more: Fears for Scottish Politician's niece


Rosie had last been seen near Wootton Creek at 10.15 on Sunday, and search efforts were focused there. Volunteers from Isle of Wight Search and Rescue, Hampshire Search and Rescue and the Coastguard took part in the search, but authorities had said their efforts were hampered by the terrain.


Earlier on Friday police had said they planned to carry out “targeted door knocks” at properties with boathouses and outbuildings, in the New Road area of the village, near Wooton Creek.