A MAN has been charged with the murder of a Southampton airport worker whose body was found in woodland.

Detectives investigating the murder of Gerald Pragnell have tonight charged a man with murder.

Tommy Scott, 34, of no fixed address, has been charged with the murder of Gerald Pragnell.

The 66-year-old’s body was found in woodland just off of Cemetery Road, Southampton, on Saturday, 3 November.

Scott is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates Court later today.

Six other people who were arrested in connection with this incident were released from custody, but remain under investigation.

Tributes have been paid to  Mr Pragnell whose body was found on Southampton Common.

He worked at Southampton Airport and was last night described as a valued employee whose death had left colleagues “tremendously saddened”.

Mr Pragnell had lived on houseboats in the River Itchen for more than 30 years.

Last December he appeared in an episode of the Channel 4 series My Floating Home, which followed the construction of a futuristic fibreglass vessel designed by his boatbuilder son Aidan.

The 35ft boat boasted a glass window in the floor which allowed him to watch aquatic life beneath the hull.

 

Mr Pragnell lived at Shamrock Quay, Southampton, where his son’s firm Marina Boats is also located.

In the programme he described how he fell in love with the river when he first came to Southampton from Stoke-on-Trent in his mid-20s.

“I love boats and see myself as river person,” he said on the show.

His murder has stunned colleagues at Southampton Airport, where had worked for 11 years.

In a statement issued last night they said: “We are tremendously saddened by the death of Gerald Pragnell.

“He was employed by APCOA Parking, one of our business partners, as night customer services advisor and was a valued member of the airport family.

“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this extremely sad and difficult time.”

An APCOA spokesman added: “Gerald was a well-respected and long-standing member of the team. He will be much missed by colleagues and we are deeply saddened by his death. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family.”

 

Mr Pragnell was driving a silver-coloured Mercedes GLA when he went missing last Thursday. His body was found in woodland on Southampton Common on Saturday evening.

Officers are anxious to hear from anyone who saw the car - registration number GIW 4045 - on the day he disappeared.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Morgan, leading the investigation, said: “We know Mr Pragnell left work at Southampton Airport at around 6.30am on Thursday.

“We are keen to find out where his car was from the point he left work until around 11am that day.

“We’d specifically like to hear from anyone with dash cam footage that captures the car in and around the Inner Avenue and Bedford Place area of the city, as well as the area around Cemetery Road, where he was later found.”

Following the discovery of Mr Pragnell’s body seven people were arrested on suspicion of murder.