The family of a former Teddington School pupil have spoken about their heartbreak after his body was found five months after he went missing in the Dolomites mountain range in Italy.

 Aziz Ziriat, 36, who worked for Crystal Palace FC's official charity, was discovered lying in a rocky crevice on Saturday , around 400m below where the body of his friend, Sam Harris, 35, who had also attended Teddington School, had previously been found.

Sam Harris' body was found in January (Credit: The Harris family / GoFundMe page)

The pair, who were both from London, went missing while hiking in January.

Following the news, Mr Ziriat's family have described how the past few months, while the charity worker had been missing, had been "incredibly difficult for everyone who knew and loved him".

The family said: "Whilst we are relieved to have finally found him, there are no words to describe how heartbroken we are to lose our beloved Aziz.

"But we have been comforted by the overwhelming love we have received - we will be eternally grateful for everyone's support."

Mr Ziriat's family also expressed "heartfelt thanks and deepest gratitude" to the rescuers, the emergency services and volunteers who had worked tirelessly in "challenging and dangerous conditions" to find his body.

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The family added: "Being with Aziz was to witness his deep connection with and appreciation of life.

"He lived every moment with optimism, good humour and humility; he was, and still is, loved by so many."

One of Mr Ziriat's family members described how his absence was "deeply felt" on a GoFundMe page set up to honour his legacy.

They wrote: "Aziz touched so many lives with his warmth, his laughter, and his unwavering belief in community. "His absence is deeply felt, but we are determined to honour his memory and always remember the light he brought into the world."

The family is raising funds to recognise the search efforts by the Alpine Rescue Service in Italy and to champion programmes that help refugees in South London, and to support the work done by the Crystal Palace Foundation.

Mr Harris' family also set up a fundraising page in his memory to raise money for Doctors without Borders, Alpine Rescue Service, and St Mungos Homeless Charity.