Parts of the missing plane carrying Emiliano Sala have reportedly washed up on a beach in France.

Sala and pilot David Ibbotson have not been seen since leaving Nantes for Cardiff last Monday evening, with their light aircraft going off the radar at around 8.30pm.

Extensive searches of the area found no trace of either the aircraft or the two people on board before the police ended their official search on Thursday.

A private search began on Saturday, though, and the Air Accident Investigation Branch has now confirmed that parts of seat cushions thought to be from the aircraft have washed up on a beach on the North-West coast of France.

An underwater search of the seabed is now scheduled to take place later this week in the hope of finding further traces of the aircraft.

Sala went missing just days after becoming Cardiff's club-record signing in a £15m deal from Nantes.

> Click here to read the Air Accident Investigation Branch's statement in full