Flowers have been placed on Wylam Bridge over the River Tyne following the discovery of a body during the search for missing soldier Liam Potts. Specialist officers recovered the body on Tuesday afternoon, bringing an extensive multi-agency search to a deeply sad conclusion.

Let me walk you through what we know about what happened in Northumberland over the past few days. The 22-year-old, who served with the Coldstream Guards, had been reported missing after failing to return home from a night out with friends.

Liam was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning, heading towards the village of Wylam. When he did not return, an urgent search operation was launched across the area, focusing heavily on the river and the surrounding terrain.

Northumbria Police led the operation, supported by specialist search teams, the coastguard, and mountain rescue units. Liam's family and friends also took part in the efforts to locate him over the weekend and into the early part of the week.

That search came to a head on Tuesday afternoon when specialist officers found a body in the water close to Wylam Bridge. Northumbria Police confirmed that while formal identification has not yet taken place, Liam's next of kin have been informed.

As part of their broader investigation into the events of that night, police revealed that officers had earlier received a report of a disturbance at a nearby premises. That disturbance was followed by a crash on Wylam Bridge involving a vehicle and a group of pedestrians.

The collision left two pedestrians—a man and a woman, both in their 20s—seriously injured. Police have clarified Liam’s whereabouts during the incident, confirming that he was present on the bridge at the time of the crash, but he was not in the vehicle and was not believed to have suffered injuries in the collision.

In connection with the report of the disturbance and the subsequent crash, two men aged 22 and 23 were arrested by Northumbria Police. Both men have since been released on bail while officers continue their inquiries into the incident.

When it comes to the recovery of the body from the River Tyne, however, Northumbria Police have stated that officers do not believe there was any third-party involvement. A report is now being prepared for the coroner to examine the circumstances surrounding the death.

The news has prompted an outpouring of grief online, with members of the public leaving condolences across social media platforms and describing the development as "absolutely heartbreaking." Tributes and floral bouquets have also been left directly at Wylam Bridge.

What we do not yet know is the formal confirmation of identity, nor the precise sequence of events between the incident on the bridge and the discovery in the river. We will have to wait for the coroner's proceedings and further updates from Northumbria Police to provide those definitive answers.

For now, inquiries into the collision and disturbance remain active while officers prepare their findings for the coroner. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.