The body of a pensioner missing for more than a year has been found after a dog walker discovered human bones in a woodland.

Brian Smart, 85, was last seen by his family at 7.30pm on Tuesday, September 22 last year, and was reported missing to police the following day at around 8pm.

Numerous appeals from police and his family were made since then, including the release of CCTV footage of him at Bluewater the day before he disappeared, but his body was found in Bostall Woods, Greenwich last Tuesday, December 13.

Police were called at just after 6.45pm on Saturday, December 3 to reports of the suspected human bones and further searches resulted in the discovery of Mr Smart's body 10 days later.

A special post-mortem examination held at Greenwich on Monday confirmed, via dental records, that the remains were those of Mr Smart.

The cause of death is undetermined at this time, but there are no suspicious circumstances.

Met Police Detective Sergeant Lisa Butler said: "Extensive enquiries were ongoing into Mr Smart's disappearance until the point his remains were sadly found.

"Several public appeals had been made both by police and his family and a £10,000 reward offered to help find him.

"Mr Smart's family have been kept fully updated throughout and our thoughts remain with them."

The £10,000 reward was offered eight months ago, on what would have been Mr Smart's 86th birthday. Mr Smart lived in Abbey Wood but was known to frequent Bluewater, Bexleyheath and Dartford, as well as Bostall Woods.