THE body of a man has been recovered after a large-scale search involving police and mountain rescue specialists on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

The operation was launched after a man in his mid 20s was reported missing from his home in Ripon just after 1pm on Saturday.

A 4x4 vehicle used by the man was found abandoned on the bridge which crosses Leighton Reservoir at Grimes Gill, near Masham, at 3pm the same day.

Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team joined police in the search which carried on through the evening.

It resumed on Sunday morning when the search team was joined by the Teesdale Mountain Rescue Team, the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association and five search dogs.

A police helicopter was also called in along with the police underwater search unit from West Yorkshire.

"At its height there were at least 45 people involved in the search on the ground," said the Swaledale team’s rescue controller Paul Denning.

At about 11.35am on Sunday divers recovered the body of a man from the reservoir.

Formal identification has yet to take place but it is believed it is the man who was reported missing from home on Saturday.

Although the death is not being treated as suspicious, police in Ripon are still appealing for any information that could assist their investigation.

They can be contacted on 0845 6060 247.