The heartbroken girlfriend of a missing British man in Australia has spoken out after police confirmed a body had been discovered in bushland of the Blue Mountains.
Despite extensive searches, Gary Tweddle, 23, has not been seen since he disappeared after a work dinner during a conference in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, nearly seven weeks ago.
Now, a recovery operation is set to be launched in the area after a body was spotted by an ambulance rescue helicopter training in the area.
Gary Tweddle, pictured with his girlfriend Anika Haigh, disappeared nearly seven weeks ago
As officers prepared to begin the recovery operation, Mr Tweddle's girlfriend told friends and family that "the sun is beginning to rise on a day that we have all been hoping would never come".
Anika Haigh wrote on her Facebook page: "A body has been found in the area of Gary's disappearance and today it will be retrieved and identified.
"Please know that nothing has been confirmed at this stage but I hope in a few hours we will have an answer either way.
"One thing I know for certain is that Gary will... come home one day - his fight, determination & 'never give up' attitude that we all loved so much about him will guide him."
She added that it was time for him "to come home where you belong".
Earlier this week she wrote that she would "never give up hope for a miracle" after police said they were treating Mr Tweddle's disappearance as "accidental death".
Joanne Elliott, a spokeswoman for Blue Mountains Local Area Command, said the "extremely rough terrain" meant police rescue officers would be unable to retrieve the body until dawn when formal identification would take place.
"The location couldn't be accessed on foot and the crew lost all light in the mountains so we're unable to get down to the ground," she added.
"They will return first thing in the morning with Blue Mountains police."
The computer salesman, who had emigrated to Australia with his family, was last heard from when he rang colleagues also staying at the Fairmont Resort in Leura in the early hours of July 17 to say he was lost in the bushland.
His disappearance of Mr Tweddle, who is originally from Reading, sparked the biggest search ever conducted in the Blue Mountains with more than 1,000 officials and volunteers, according to local media reports.
The disappearance of Mr Tweddle, who is originally from Reading, sparked the biggest search ever conducted in the Blue Mountains with more than 1,000 officials and volunteers, according to local media reports.