A Powys man who went missing whilst on holiday in Africa has died, police have confirmed.

Michael Costain, 69, from Rhayader, travelled to The Gambia on March 8 and was due to return to the UK on March 20, but failed to return on a flight he had pre-booked.

Police launched an appeal for sightings of Mr Costain, who was also thought to have travelled to Senegal, but have now confirmed that he has sadly passed away.

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A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Sadly, we can confirm that Michael, who was reported as missing from the Rhayader area of Powys, had passed away.

“Michael had travelled to The Gambia on the March 8 and had not returned to the UK as planned.

“Following enquiries made we have now received confirmation that he passed away while on holidays.

“The death is not being treated suspicious.”

Rhayader community arts charity, CARAD, who Mr Costain worked with, put out a social media post saying that Mr Costain died of natural causes whilst travelling on a bus between Gambia and Senegal.

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In the post they said: “Anyone who knew Mick would remember that he loved travelling to extraordinary places and it feels fitting, in some way, that he would have closed his eyes for the last time having been gazing out of the window watching an exciting new world open up before him.

“Mick's association with #CARADTimeScapeRhayader goes back to the early 1990s when he was a percussionist in the onstage band in the Community Play, Y Delyn Golledig - The Lost Harp.

“Some years after, while travelling in Brazil, he worked with Brazilian street children and enabled them to beat scales that were subsequently fabricated into our giant copper dragon. On many occasions he led drumming workshops for us and led parades with his Samba band.

"He will be missed by all who knew him.”