EMERGENCY services who have been scouring the banks of the River Stour near Christchurch after reports that a man had fallen in have now called off their search.

This afternoon, after a multi-agency meeting, search teams stood down.

A Dorset police spokesman said tonight: “After an extensive search by joint agencies, no trace and no reports of missing persons in this area have been received.

“Fire and police units have now stood down.”

As reported in the Daily Echo, a large-scale search involving Coastguards, the RNLI, police, fire crews and the Wick ferry was launched in difficult weather conditions on Wednesday night, but nothing was found.

Today, police and fire personnel returned in the daylight to continue looking between Iford and Tuckton bridges.

The police helicopter searched the area south of Tuckton, where it was difficult for land teams to reach.

Emergency services were initially mobilised after a report came from a member of the public at around 7pm on Wednesday saying that they had seen a man fall into the water near Iford Bridge.

Inspector Pete Little, of Bournemouth and Poole CID, said today the witness at the scene reported seeing an altercation between a man and a woman.

He said: “The woman is seen to leave and it is possible that subsequent to this a man has fallen into the river.”