Anthony Knott: Body of missing firefighter found in Sussex

Father-of-four’s body found in river weeks after disappearance

Mr Knott was engaged and had four children (Sussex Police)

The body of a missing firefighter who disappeared following a work Christmas night out has been found.

Anthony Knott, 33, was last seen in Lewes on 20 December after leaving his colleagues in a pub.

Sussex Police said officers had been alerted to a body in the River Ouse in Newhaven on Friday morning.

A spokesperson said police believe the body to be that of Mr Knott, who was from Orpington in south-east London.

Detective Inspector Mark Rosser said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Anthony at this difficult time. We too are saddened by this update and would ask the public and media to respect the families’ privacy.

“We would like to thank the public for their tremendous support with our investigation into the disappearance of Anthony, along with our partner agencies and volunteers who assisted with the search.”

Police had released CCTV footage of Mr Knott walking near The Lamb pub, where he had been drinking with friends, and said his phone had been switched off.

The firefighter, who worked for the London Fire Brigade, was engaged and had four children.

His fiancée Lucy Otto described his disappearance as “completely out of character” in an appeal for information on 23 December.

“He’s a family man. He loves his job; he loves his friends; he loves his kids,” she said. “This isn’t something he would intentionally do. He wouldn’t want to stay away.”

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades' Union, said: "It is devastating to see the loss of one of our own and Anthony will be mourned by firefighters across the country. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time.”