**Updated January 6th**
A body found in the River Thames has been confirmed as that of missing student Harvey Parker.
The Met’s Marine Support Unit recovered the body and detectives have informed their family. The death is being treated as unexplained, police said.
Officers recovered the body near to Embankment, Westminster, after being alerted by the RNLI at 11:51 on Tuesday. Inner West London Coroner’s Court confirmed ID of the body on Thursday.
Harvey’s friends and family set up a JustGiving page – supporting young queer support groups, neurodiverse and gender-diverse young people – in their honour.
The fundraiser target was £10,000. At the time of writing, contributions have exceeded £52,000.
Click here for more information and to donate.
RIP, Harvey.
Body found in search for missing 20-year-old.
In December, we reported that police had launched an appeal for Harvey Parker, a 20-year-old University of York student, from Lambeth, south London, who was missing.
Harvey had last been seen leaving Heaven nightclub, an LGBTQ+ venue in central London, close to Charing Cross station, at about 02:15 GMT on Friday (December 17).
Police searching for the missing 20-year-old are said to have recovered a body from the River Thames.
The Metropolitan police was alerted to reports of a body in the Thames near Embankment, central London, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at 11.51am on Tuesday.
Although formal identification has yet to take place, detectives involved have been alerted and family liaison officers have informed Harvey’s family.
DCI Lucy O’Connor, of the Central South Command Unit, said: “Sadly a body has been recovered from the Thames near where Harvey was last seen. We are providing Harvey’s family with all the available information.”
“We are also asking for media to please respect the family’s privacy at this challenging and difficult time.”
Days after Harvey went missing, the Met said it was searching the river following a review of CCTV in the area that indicated that Parker may have entered the water near the Golden Jubilee Bridge.
The death is being treated as unexplained and a report is being compiled for a coroner.
Harvey’s friends and family are said to have set up a JustGiving page – supporting young queer support groups, neurodiverse and gender-diverse young people – in Harvey’s honour.
Click here to view the page and for more information.
