FAMILY and friends of missing Trowbridge man Ben Garland in Ibiza are starting to come home as Spanish authorities scale back their search.

The Civil Guard officers from the mainland have withdrawn and will leave local police to carry on searching for the 24-year-old superyacht crewman.

Ben's father, Mark Garland, 54, says Spanish Police have advised his family to think about "normalising" their lives.

"They are not giving up the search but the mainland police have withdrawn, leaving the local police to carry on."

Hopes were raised on Tuesday when a second body was discovered but it turned out not to be Ben.

Mr Garland, of Frome Road, Trowbridge, said: "It is now just a question of waiting for news.

"Everyone was solemn and quiet yesterday. We know that Ben is no longer with us. Basically, we are just waiting for them to find him."

Ben's two sisters, Charlotte and Leanne, have flown home, leaving Mr Garland and his younger brother Jake to carry on the search.

Already, several of Ben's friends have returned to the UK or plan to do so by the weekend. They include Tom Eggleton, Tyler Munn, Rory Larsen-Barker, Jamie Steer and Matthew Tanner.

Mr Garland's friend Lee Goodchild has also come home but Ben's uncle Trevor Butler has stayed on for a few more days.

His two brothers Gary Garland and Kirk Garland are flying out to Ibiza to provide support to the family.

Last weekend, Mr Garland and Jake gave DNA samples to help identify Ben's body when it is found.

On Saturday, Mr Garland found a fake Tag Heuer watch belonging Ben in a rock pool between boulders on the shoreline of the Spanish island.

His father posted on Facebook that he had gone out looking for his son’s helmet and mobile phone when he found the watch.

Mr Garland said: “I can confirm it is Ben’s watch. It was one of a collection that was passed on to him by his Uncle Carl Wharton.

Mr Garland said he had gone to the spot where his son made his last Instagram video to search for his belongings.

“I saw something shining in a rock pool and we pulled it out. Apart from a few scratches on the face, it still works perfectly fine.”

It is believed Ben was swept away by waves after going to the coast to video the sea for Instagram posts. He failed to return from a motorbike ride as Storm Gloria hit the island on January 21.

The alert was raised by the boat’s captain who called the emergency services when Mr Garland did not return. His bike was found in Cala Portinatx.

Mr Garland thanked all the people supporting the family in their search and well-wishers who have contributed to a £10,000 appeal to bring Ben home. To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/anthony-dennison-1