An Essex university has said its thoughts are with the friends and family of a student who is believed to have died this morning.

A search was launched for Paulo Junior, postgraduate student at the Essex Business School in Wivenhoe, in the early hours of this morning.

He had been at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, after being taken there by police who stopped him in a mentally unstable condition at Stansted Airport yesterday evening where it is believed he was heading for his native Brazil.

The 34-year-old ran off at 2am this morning, but a body found at 8.30am in the grounds of a nearby property is believed to be him.

Although the body is believed to be that of Paulo’s it will still be the subject of a formal identification procedure.

A post-mortem examination will take place in due course to ascertain a cause of death, but it is not being treated as suspicious.

A university spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with Paulo’s family, friends and fellow students at this time, and our Student Support team is providing support to those affected.

“We are assisting the police and coroner’s office with their inquiries.”