Police searching for a missing teen find body in woodland as sister pays tribute
Luke Fingleton was last seen on March 27 outside a McDonald's and his worried family raised the alarm a few days later, sparking a major police search, which ended with a grim discovery on Saturday
A body has been found in the week-long search for a missing teenager last seen at a McDonald's restaurant.
Police searching for Luke Fingleton, 19, said tragically discovered a body in woodland, they said on Sunday afternoon.
He was last seen outside the fast food giant's eatery in Rawtenstall, Lancs., at around 12.15pm on March 27 and reported missing from his home in nearby Bacup by his family last Sunday.
Lancashire Police said a body had been found on Saturday afternoon. And while formal identification has not yet taken place, officers believe the body Luke's.
They added that the teen's death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.
A spokesman said on Sunday: "Yesterday afternoon the body of a man was discovered deceased in woodland off Haslingden Road in Rawtenstall. While formal identification has not yet taken place, we believe it to be Luke.
"The tragic news has been delivered to Luke's next of kin and our thoughts are with them at this devastating time. This is not the outcome anybody wanted.
"Luke's death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be passed to HM Coroner in due course. We would just like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who shared our appeals and, again, pass on our deepest condolences to Luke's family."
His heartbroken sister Rebecca paid tribute to Luke on Facebook, writing that he was 'so full of light'.
She said: "I can’t believe you're gone forever and I'm never going to see your beautiful face again. My baby brother you was so full of light. Eight days we searched for you, we never gave up on you Lukey. We found you in the end like we promised we would.
"My heart is so broken, I'm so angry this happened to you you deserved the world and more. I know your at peace. Rest In Paradise my baby brother. I love and miss you more than you will ever know."
Luke's family raised the alarm last weekend, sparking a major police manhunt. he last confirmed sighting of him was CCTV footage captured outside a McDonald's.
Cops previously issued the footage in the hope it would help jog the memories of people who may had seen Luke. They said at the time he was believed to have been going to meet a man called Mason and appealed for any information about the associate.
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