By 
A BODY was found this afternoon during the search for a young Cookstown man who had been missing since New Year’s Day.
Taylor Stewart’s family received the devastating news that a body had been found after a massive search operation.
He had last been seen in the Church Heights area of the town at around 5.30am on New Year’s Day.
A PSNI spokesperson confirmed the body of a man had been located in Cookstown this afternoon.
“Whilst formal identification has not taken place, the family of Taylor Stewart, who has been missing since the early hours of New Year’s Day, has been informed,” the spokesperson added.
It is believed that the body was found in an entry beside a block of houses in the Church Street area of the town.
Following the discovery, the area was cordoned off by police.
Numerous search parties had been deployed in the Cookstown throughout the week after Mr Stewart had been reported missing, with multiple organisations working alongside the PSNI on the ground, including Community Rescue Service, Lough Neagh Rescue, Swift Water Rescue Team and K9 Search and Rescue NI.
Speaking with the Ulster Herald earlier this week, Mr Stewart’s sister Paige said that her family were ‘not whole’ without her brother and pleaded for anyone with any further information to come forward.
