A father-of-four from Redditch who went missing after a jet-skiing accident has been found dead.

West Mercia Police confirmed that the body of a man believed to be Michael Hudson had been discovered off the French coast after a search.

Mr Hudson, 45, had travelled to Cherbourg on his own for a water sports holiday but was reported missing on November 28. His battered Yamaha water scooter was found in Bouley Bay, Jersey on December 1.

The body was discovered by French coastguards off Baubigny, near the port of Cherbourg, on Friday.

Mr Hudson’s mother Pamela, 64, said her son, who worked as a lorry driver in Redditch, was a keen jet-skier but had no concept of danger and was worried about him taking to the water at this time of year.

Mrs Hudson, also from Redditch, said: “His father used to go jet-skiing all the time and that is how Michael first got into it. He really loved it, it was his passion.

“We always used to tell him never to go out on his own but he was 45 years old and you can’t tell him what to do.

“He was his own person and he just couldn’t ever see danger. He will be sorely missed by us all.”

Michael’s wife of ten years, Lisa, 39, is travelling to France to formally identify the body. They had one son Aston, eight, while Michael had three children from a previous marriage; Perry, 21, James, 16, and Toni, 13.

Mrs Hudson said: “Lisa is completely distraught and is struggling to cope with her day to day life.

“Aston is only eight and he doesn’t fully understand what has happened. He keeps asking questions but is far too young to be able to deal with it.”

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: ‘The body of a man believed to be Michael Hudson has been found off the coast of France. This follows the discovery of a jet-ski in Jersey which was used by him.

“We are co-operating with the Foreign Office and French authorities to try and formally identify the body.”