David and Victoria Beckham's former bodyguard Craig Ainsworth found dead in Spain

Craig Ainsworth, a former bodyguard of David and Victoria Beckham, has been found dead after he reportedly disappeared in Spain.

The ex-Royal Marine's mother announced he had passed away on Saturday (5 April) in an online post.

She had previously turned to social media in the hopes of gaining information on her son's whereabouts after he 'posted a last message on Facebook to say goodbye'.

His mother, Sally, explained that Craig - who protected stars such as Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lawrence and Arnold Schwarzenegger during his career - was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In her latest update, she then wrote: "Craig has been found. With the greatest sadness the world has lost Craig. He served in Afghanistan and he had PTSD."

PTSD is a mental health condition 'caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events', according to the NHS.

Craig Ainsworth has been found dead in Spain, his mother announced (Solarpix)

Symptoms include 'reliving the traumatic event' through nightmares and flashbacks, and sufferers 'may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt'.

It adds: "These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life."

Sally shared an image of her son Craig, who is believed to have been aged 40, in the post alongside the words: "RIP Craig."

The details surrounding his death have not yet been revealed.

In her initial post, Sally explained that Craig was 'missing' and 'could be in the Barcelona area or Alicante'.

She wrote: "He posted a last message on Facebook to say goodbye. Please, if you have seen him. The police are trying to track him. Please share this post if you have friend in Alicante or Barcelona."

Craig worked for the Beckham's from 2013 to 2015, during the time they lived in London at their home in Holland Park.

Speaking after the release of the Beckham documentary series on Netflix, the couple's former bodyguard praised the pair.

The former Marine seen with the Beckhams in 2013 (HKGC/FilmMagic)

"David was charming," he told the Mirror in 2023. "Victoria kept to herself, she would be with the kids or working. With the spotlight they have been under, their kids are well-behaved.

"To have that level of fame and maintain their family unit, they must be doing something right."

In a post shared to his Facebook on Saturday, Craig explained he had been 'in the most tremendous pain for the past four years'.

He said that Covid lockdowns had 'destroyed everything he had built' and that he had 'lost some genuinely amazing humans he was proud to call friends and colleagues'.

Craig, from Enfield, north London, was hired as the Beckham's bodyguard via US security firm Gavin De Becker.

He is said to have had to pass a series of gruelling tests to get the high-profile gig, including being being pepper-sprayed in the eyes and going up against an MMA fighter in the dark, according to the Mirror.

Tributes have been pouring in for the former Royal Marine since the sad news broke.