TRIBUTES have been paid to a “lovely man” who’s body is thought to have been found in the water off Holland-on-Sea.

Ronald King, 63, who was a permanent resident at Travelodge in Jackson Road, Clacton, had gone missing last Friday.

His body was spotted by a woman walking at Holland Haven at 9.30am last Thursday.

A formal identification is still to take place, but police said the search to find Mr King was called off.

Mr King, who uses a mobility scooter, told staff at the hotel he planned to go out into the sea in his small inflatable dinghy.

The manager of Clacton Travelodge paid tribute to Mr King yesterday.

“Ronald was a lovely man and we treated him like a family member,” she said.

“We knew him very well because he had been staying with us here for four months.”

Det Insp Russ Cole, who was leading the search, said Mr King’s relatives have been informed.