THE discovery of a body near Brighton Station has left friends and family of a beloved missing student in mourning as they fear the worst.

Police were working to formally identify the body and establish the circumstances of what happened before it was found near the railway sidings just outside the busy station.

However, the family of Portuguese University of Brighton student Diogo Manuel Martins-Alves-Moreira yesterday announced he had been found dead.

In a statement, they said: "The family would like to thank everyone for your effort. His body was found on Wednesday in Brighton.

“Diogo was known to many and esteemed by all. A walk in his memory will be organised next week, to celebrate the life of this wonderful person.”

The 29-year-old disappeared at midnight last Tuesday after he had visited a friend who lived near to the station.

Former girlfriend Gemma Doughty said: “I just want to thank everybody who helped to try and find Diogo, it was an outstanding effort, and showed what an amazing man he was for so many people to be out looking for him.

“He was an amazing and friendly man and he was basically a Brighton lad having lived here for more than five years.

“He was quite a rock to people so he’s going to be hugely missed.

“There will be a ceremony in Portugal but we will do a memorial walk here on the South Downs to remember him. Diogo loved hiking.”

Mr Moreira lived in Prestonville Road and worked at Redroaster cafe in St James’s Street for most of his five years living in the city - studying environmental science and geology at university.

The cafe had a sign on the door yesterday saying "owing to a bereavement the cafe will remain closed today".

Tim Hume, managing director of Redroaster, said "We had all been hoping against hope - and believing - that following his unexplained disappearance last week that he would suddenly reappear with a nonchalant easy-going grin and perhaps a wry explanation about where he had been.

"The dashing of this hope has left us all numb with sorrow, regret and disbelief. For the better part of five years he was a constant part of our working week.

"His patience, good humour and love of life were assets that are hard to find and were so appreciated by our many regular customers. He was impossible to dislike. Our hearts go out to his family at this time of such untimely sorrow. We all loved Diogo. He leaves a Diogo-shaped hole that cannot be filled."

A spokesman for British Transport Police said the death is being treated as "unexplained".

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference SSUB/B10 of 22/07/2015