THE body of an elderly man has been discovered at a Purbeck beauty spot following a large-scale search operation.

Police, the RNLI, coastguards and the police and coastguard helicopters conducted the search after the 85-year-old’s wife reported him missing from their Swanage home on Tuesday evening.

Both of Swanage’s RNLI lifeboats were launched to scour the shoreline between Anvil Point and the southern end of Studland’s South Beach.

The coastguard helicopter used state-of-the-art thermal imaging equipment to search the area, but they found nothing.

However, police discovered the pensioner’s body in the surf at the foot of cliffs between Old Harry Rocks and Ballard Point yesterday morning.

A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed: “We received a report of a missing 85-year-old man from the Swanage area at 5pm on Tuesday.

“At around 10.30am, on Wednesday, a body of a man was discovered by officers.

“The man was pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed that the body is that of the missing 85-year-old man.

“There are no suspicious circumstances.”

An RNLI spokesman said: “This search was carried out from the sea but with crew also being put ashore to walk the rocky coastline.

“With the search completed and nothing found the lifeboats were asked to standby at the northern end of Swanage Bay whilst the Coastguard helicopter carried out a search with its thermal imaging camera.

“With the area thoroughly searched from the land, sea and air, all units were stood down.”

The next of kin have been informed and the coroner is aware of the incident.