﻿The family of a missing firefighter say they are “utterly devastated and completely heartbroken” after a body was found.

The body, believed to be that of Anthony Knott, was recovered from the River Ouse at Newhaven in East Sussex, police said.

Knott, a 33-year-old father-of-four from Orpington in Kent, disappeared on 20 December after going to a pub in Lewes with colleagues.

In the emotional statement, Knott’s family said his story had “touched the hearts of thousands of people” and thanked everyone who had helped look for him.

Large-scale searches were carried out in an effort to find the firefighter in the weeks that followed, with Sussex police deploying boats, dogs, drones and helicopters.

However, on Friday police announced that a body believed to be Knott had been recovered after a call from a member of the public.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Knott’s family said: “We are utterly devastated and completely heartbroken. Anthony’s story has reached out and touched the hearts of thousands of people.

“We would like to thank everyone for your incredible support, shares, posters, volunteers and donations. The people of Lewes, we will be forever grateful for your support & understanding during our searches. These three weeks have been so very hard for us all.

“We now want to take some time as a family to grieve and as I am sure everyone will understand, [ask people] to respect our privacy for this time.”