Michael Mosley died of natural causes, police say

The TV presenter's body was found in a rocky area on the Greek island of Symi. Photo: Anna-Karin Nilsson / EXP / TT NEWS AGENCY / TT News Agency via AFP

An initial post-mortem examination on the body of Dr Michael Mosley has concluded he died of natural causes, the BBC has been told.

The TV presenter's remains were found in a rocky area on the Greek island of Symi on Sunday - four days after he went missing while on holiday.

Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou told the BBC that the initial post-mortem found no injuries on his body that could have caused his death.

Mosley's time of death was around 4pm local time Wednesday, the day he went missing.

Dimoglidou said the initial conclusion that Mosley died of natural causes was based on the position his body was found in, as well as a lack of injuries.

A toxicology report and a histology report have now been ordered.

The BBC has seen CCTV footage that appears to show Mosley disappear from view as he slowly makes his way down a hillside close to where his body was later found.

The recording, taken near to the Agia Marina beach bar, is the last known footage of Mosley.

The 67-year-old father-of-four was reported missing after he left Agios Nikolaos beach to set off on a walk at about 1.30pm local time on Wednesday. Mosley's wife, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, raised the alarm after her husband did not return.

Greek authorities conducted an extensive search for Mosley amid high temperatures, deploying police officers, firefighters, divers and a helicopter.

A bar manager found his body after the island's mayor "saw something" by the fence of the bar and alerted staff, PA news agency reported.

A police source told BBC News he had been dead "for a number of days".

Bailey Mosley said on Sunday that her family was "taking comfort in the fact" that her husband "so very nearly made it".

"He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn't be easily seen by the extensive search team," Bailey Mosley said in a statement.

She also paid tribute to her "wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant" husband after the "devastating" news his body had been found.

"We had an incredibly lucky life together," Bailey Mosley said.

"We loved each other very much and were so happy together."

The former deputy leader of the Labour Party, Lord Tom Watson, was among those to pay fresh tributes to Mosley on Monday.

"He certainly changed my life. He gave me the idea that I wasn't broken," Watson, who said in 2018 that he had "reversed" his type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise, told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

- BBC