NSW

Body found in stairwell at Westfield Bondi Junction believed to be of missing man

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The body found in the stairwell of Westfield Bondi Junction is believed to be that of a missing Tasmanian man last seen 21 days ago.

Bernard Gore, 71, was last seen leaving his family's apartment in Woollahra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, at 12.30pm on January 6.

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Body discovered at Bondi Junction

A crime scene has been established inside the Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre after a body was found earlier in the morning. Vision: Today Show, Channel Nine

He told his relatives he planned to walk to Bondi Junction to do some shopping.

But when he failed to meet a relative an hour later as planned, his family reported him missing and he had not been seen since.

Police on Friday said a man's body had been discovered inside a stairwell of Westfield Bondi Junction and, while it was yet to be formally identified, they believe it to be that of Mr Gore.

"Police will investigate the man's death and prepare a report for the information of the coroner," police said in a statement. 

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"The death is not being treated as suspicious."

Staff at the high-end stores in Westfield Bondi Junction close to where Brendan Gore's body was found said the stairwell was not used by shop employees.

But one worker said he thought the centre's own security was meant to regularly check the stairwell.

The fire safety door on level four leading to the stairs is marked "Do not keep open".

The shopping centre's owners said on Friday "investigations are still under way to determine exactly how these sad and tragic circumstances could have occurred".

"Scentre Group offers its deepest condolences to the family of the man found today ... and will continue to work with police in their investigations," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

Police had made an appeal to help locate Mr Gore as recently as last weekend, saying the search had continued and, despite a number of unconfirmed sightings, they had yet to locate him. 

Mr Gore had been staying with his daughter and her family in Woollahra since December 15, 2016, and had made the trip from the Ocean Street apartment to Bondi Junction a number of times without incident.

When he was reported missing, Mr Gore's son, Mark Gore, flew from Hobart to help in the search.

"My father would not want to be a bother to anyone if he was lost, and I think it's unlikely he'd approach a stranger for help," Mark Gore said on January 10.

"I hope someone will notice him alone and ask if he needed help; he'd probably say he was fine but people need to contact police if they think it is him.

Mr Gore said his father was in the early stages of dementia, and this was helped by medication.

Police said Mr Gore's family had asked for privacy.

with AAP