Josh Gayton, who served at Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde, was given a fixed penalty notice by police for relieving himself in public in Helensburgh just after midnight last Tuesday.

Police Scotland confirmed that a body was discovered in the water off Helensburgh on Sunday night at around 6.20pm.

They added: “Formal identification has still to take place, however, the family of Joshua Gayton, last seen in Helensburgh on Tuesday, 16 April, 2024, has been notified.”

“A post mortem examination will be carried out in due course, however, the death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Guidelines issued by the force state that they will ‘automatically’ refer certain serious incidents to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner when ‘direct or indirect’ contact with the police is the cause or contributory factor in someone’s death. PIRC were today approached for comment.

Mr Gayton’s shipmates launched their own search and appeal for their colleague following his disappearances. A serving military officer, who did not wish to be named, questioned why the force had not contacted military police.

“Instead, his comrades are wondering why they let him walk off into the night, inebriated, under-dressed and not knowing where he was, knowing he was a serving member of the Royal Navy.”

The Navy said it was liaising with Police Scotland following the discovery of the body.