THE body of a former Bradford Bulls star was found just yards from his home despite an extensive year-long search, it has emerged today.

Bryn Hargreaves, 36, had been living in the US for ten years when he vanished without a trace in January last year, sparking a major hunt by police.

But though officers conducted a “large scale search” near his flat on Morgantown’s city limits, West Virginia, his remains were discovered on February 26 this year.

Monongalia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Hargreaves' body was found by ‘shed hunters’ - who look for naturally shed deer antlers - in woodland close to his home.

And they revealed the FBI had been involved in the search.

The law enforcement agency said they were waiting for a post-mortem to confirm his cause of death, but locals slammed police for not finding his body earlier.

Police first went to Bryn's flat complex on January 3 last year as water was leaking into a nearby apartment.

And when they arrived, they found his door unlocked and his shower still running, with all his belonging - including his phone and Apple laptop - present at the address.

They then began a manhunt, which didn’t turn up any definitive leads, and even a private investigator hired by his family couldn't uncover any "concrete" details.

Yesterday, his brother Gareth Hargreaves, 39, sadly confirmed that the former prop forward’s body had finally been found.

He had previously criticised the police investigation, claiming they’d failed to access his electronic devices or checked CCTV near his home.

In a statement, Monongalia County Sheriff's Office said: "The human remains discovered on February 26, 2023, in Monongalia County, WV has been identified as Bryn Hargreaves.

"Hargreaves, who is originally from England, was reported missing on January 16, 2022.

"His last known location was his residence at the Whisper Creek Apartment Complex which is located off of South Pierpont Road, in Monongalia County, WV.

"A large-scale search of the Cheat Lake area was conducted by members of the Sheriff’s Department, Morgantown Police/Fire Search and Rescue, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, MECCA 911, and several individual volunteers over a several-month period with negative success.

"The Sheriff’s Office is waiting for a completed autopsy report from the WV Office of the Chief Medical Examiner before a cause and manner of death are determined. Once that report is received an updated press release will be made available."