A MOUNTAIN biker's body was discovered in Cumbria following an overnight search involving two mountain rescue teams and search dogs.

Police said a man in his late 50s was reported missing yesterday after he had failed to return home.

Just before 5am this morning the body of the man was discovered on Lonscale Fell.

It followed an overnight search involving Keswick and Pattedale Mountain Rescue Teams and six handlers and search dogs from the Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs.

A spokesman for KMRT said the biker was experienced and was on a planned ride around Skiddaw.

"We set off to comb the area, focussing on the track between Dash Falls, Skiddaw House and Keswick," he said.

"The missing man's body was found after two and a half hours by a search dog attached to Patterdale MRT, 60 metres down a steep rocky gully close to Lonscale Fell.

"He had obviously fallen a long way and had suffered multiple fatal injuries. His bike was found fairly close to a path section on Lonscale Fell which is notoriously slippery when wet, and which has seen a number of accidents."

The team set up a lowering system to safely recover the man's bpdy 400 metres down to the track below.

A spokesman for the force said: "Formal identification will take place, but the family of the man who was reported missing are being supported at this time."