Heartbroken relatives of a missing teacher have paid tribute to the mother-of-three who was a “workhorse in the community” after her body was pulled from a river.

Primary school teacher Pam Johnson has been reported missing after disappearing from her home in Doncaster nearly two weeks ago.

The 63-year-old, who had never been missing before, disappeared on March 14 without a phone or card and no more than £6.50.

Ms Johnson, also known as Shirley, was last seen on CCTV cameras on Winchester Avenue in the city.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed on Tuesday that the body of a body believed to be that of a missing teacher was found in the River Don near Barnby Dun on Monday night.

Her daughter Samantha Johnson confirmed the news on social media and expressed her gratitude to the public for participating in the search.

She said: “Hi everyone, as you may have seen from the latest update, police have closed off the road to Barnby Dun next to the River Don and Canal. They have found a body matching my mother’s description.

“Formal identification will take place in the coming days, but as of now, police are 99% certain this is our beloved mother, wife, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, Pam Johnson.

“We appreciate all your efforts to help find her and we are so grateful for the love you have shown us, especially my mom.

“My mother will be completely overwhelmed by the love and care shown over the past few days leading up to this horrific end.

“We ask that you cease all activity now and, where possible, remove/dispose of any posters you see while out and about.

“We also ask that you respect our family’s privacy during this absolutely heartbreaking time. Thank you all again, you will always have our love and respect.”

Relative Becky Jerman added on Facebook: “As a family we are grateful for everyone’s dedication to finding Pam.

“She has been an important figure in the community for a long time, the children grew up under her tutelage and she came to help us all in her time of need. The love and community spirit involved was immense and we sincerely say this from the bottom of our hearts Thank you all.”

The disappearance of a Kingfisher Primary School teacher has sparked a massive manhunt involving tracking dogs, diving police, off-road bike police and flying drones.

Ms Johnson was described as a passionate campaigner and animal lover against fox hunting and other blood sports.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: “Police officers searching for missing 63-year-old Doncaster woman Pam (also known as Shirley) sadly discovered a body today (Monday, March 25).

“While formal identification has not yet taken place, police believe this is Pam. Her family have been notified and continue to receive support from officers.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their overwhelming support who have shared our appeal regarding Pam’s disappearance, distributed posters and conducted their own searches.

“We would also like to express our gratitude to our partners including Doncaster Council, Mountain Rescue and Lowland Rescue who have helped spread information and assisted with the search.

“Our thoughts are with Pam’s loved ones during this most difficult time.”