THE family of an angler who was swept out to sea said they feared the worst after a man's body was discovered along the Suffolk coastline.Martyn Franklin went missing on November 1 when he was hit by a wave as he walked along the beach at Kessingland.

THE family of an angler who was swept out to sea said they feared the worst after a man's body was discovered along the Suffolk coastline.

Martyn Franklin went missing on November 1 when he was hit by a wave as he walked along the beach at Kessingland.

Although police have not confirmed whether a body discovered by a trawler on Thursday afternoon is that of Mr Franklin, his devastated family believe the 41-year-old father-of-two is now dead.

His sister, Vanessa Frary, from Appledown Drive in Bury St Edmunds, said she was now waiting for the body to be identified so she can have “closure”.

“The police told me they think it might be Martyn's body that has been found, the clothes are the same and they found a wallet with Martyn's bank card in, which all indicates it must be him,” she said.

“I am not sure how I feel at the moment, I am just numb. But if it is him, which is more than likely, then at least we will have closure and we can lay him to rest.”

Mr Franklin, who grew up in Bury but moved to Lowestoft, is a former lifeboatman, and took part in many rescue missions while serving as a volunteer with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The body, which was discovered by a fishing trawler about three miles off the coast of Dunwich - not far the stretch of coastline where Mr Franklin disappeared - was taken to the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, where a post mortem examination is scheduled to be carried out on Tuesday.

“Hopefully the body will be identified within the next few days,” said Mrs Frary, who said her 78-year-old mother, Kathleen Davis, is struggling to cope with what has happened.

“I think mum has been expecting this news in the back of her mind, but she just feels empty and lost because you do not expect to have to bury your own child.

“It does not seem real that the body they found could be my brother. Of course I hope it's not him, but deep down inside I just know it is going to be a positive identification because it's all just too much of a coincidence, but now we just want to be 100% certain.”