TV host Mark Speight ‘found dead’

The body of a man, believed to be missing TV presenter Mark Speight, has been found in a remote area of London’s Paddington station, police have said.

Officers are treating the death as “unexplained” but have confirmed that the man had not been hit by a train.

Mr Speight, 42, disappeared last Monday following the death of his fiancee, Natasha Collins, in January.

She was found in a bath at their north London flat after the pair had taken cocaine, sleeping pills and alcohol.

The body of the man was discovered at about 1000 BST at the station.

Mr Speight’s relatives have been informed of the discovery, police said, but a formal identification has yet to take place.

Video footage from CCTV cameras at the station is to be studied by officers as part of their investigation.

‘Fragile state’

The presenter, who was the host of BBC children’s show SMart until February, was reported missing last Monday when he failed to meet Miss Collins’ mother as arranged.

Mr Speight said in January he was “distraught” at Miss Collins’ death

He was recorded on a security camera entering Queen’s Park underground station in north-west London.

Then, 22 minutes later, he boarded a train on the Bakerloo Line, which serves Paddington.

Relatives had made a number of appeals over the past few days, with his father, Oliver, urging him to get in touch and not to “give up” during his time of grief.

The families of both Mr Speight and Miss Collins had issued a joint statement, expressing their “deep concern” and saying he had been in “a fragile state of mind” when he vanished.

Mr Speight, originally from Wolverhampton, had been arrested on suspicion of murder and supplying Class A drugs following the discovery of Miss Collins’ body but no charges were brought.