Body found in search for British man Greg Monks who went missing on stag do in Portugal

A body has been found in the search for a man who went missing on a stag do in Portugal.

Greg Monks, 38, went missing on the first night of a five-day stay in Albufeira during the early hours of May 28.

The Scotsman told friends that he was heading back to the apartments where he was staying, but was not seen again.

A major search was launched, while his parents and girlfriend Nicole Ashleigh Kelso flew out to support.

A body was found this afternoon in a ravine in Cerro da Aguia, to the west of Albufeira, close to where he was last seen.

It was removed from a steep wasteland area by firefighters and has been taken for an autopsy.

His sister Jillian Monks paid tribute to her brother and told the Daily Record: ‘We are truly heartbroken. Everyone who knows Greg knows how much he will be missed and what an amazing guy he was.’

A FCDO Spokesperson told Metro: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities.’

Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria police force said in a statement: ‘The PJ has located the body of the missing Scottish tourist in Albufeira.

‘The disappearance of the 38-year-old UK citizen was reported to the Albufeira GNR at 8pm on May 28 by another man who was accompanying him on holiday in the area.

‘After carrying out various enquiries and establishing the presumed route taken in the early hours of that day since the last sighting, the body was located on steep wasteland.

‘After the appropriate judicial inspection, the body will be removed and taken to the nearest Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.’

His sisters Jillian and Carlyn appeared on Sky News yesterday before today’s police announcement.

Carlyn said: ‘As a family, we’re worried sick. It’s just so unlike him, but myself and Jillian are just trying to hold each other up back home.’

Jillian said: ‘He deserves to be found, he deserves to be looked for, we need him home.

‘He’s a big part of our family, and it’s just unimaginable if he’s just lying somewhere and we can’t find him.’

Jillian described Greg as a ‘really hard worker’ in his job and a ‘quiet guy’ whose disappearance immediately ‘threw up a red flag’.

She added that he has a Thor-type Viking unfinished tattoo at the top of his right arm which would be visible if he was wearing a vest top or had no shirt on.

Hospitals have been checked without success, but police are not thought to have yet carried out an exhaustive search of medical centres.

A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of the family to help support the search which has so far raised £24,125.

Organiser Gillian McCallum wrote: ‘Our son Greg Monks went to Portugal for a stag do on Tuesday, May 27, and on the first night back out there he never returned to his hotel and has now been missing for three days.

‘We are desperately seeking Greg’s safe return and need your help.

‘There are professional search teams out looking for Greg and the family have all flown out to try to help find him but don’t know how long their stay will be.

‘They are doing everything they can. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in our efforts to bring Greg home.’

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