A CAMPAIGN has been launched to fly the body of a Southampton man – who drowned over Christmas – back to the country of his birth.

Godfrey Mukondo was last seen leaving CoCo Bar and Lounge at Harbour House in Town Quay, Southampton, at around 4.30am on December 25.

Police found the 41-year-old’s body in the water off Town Quay on Wednesday, more than a month after he went missing.

The separated father-of-one worked for Smiths News in Nursling and lived in Shirley.

Now one of his long-time friends, Helen Moore, has started a Gofundme page to send Godfrey’s body home to his elderly parents in Zimbabwe. Helen, 35, told the Daily Echo: “I want to do something to help the family, who are from Zimbabwe and still live there.

“His parents are elderly now, and they can’t fly over here.”

The Millbrook resident, who was introduced to Godfrey by a friend, said the pair had been friends for 14 years.

She told the Echo: “There will be a service for friends and family over here, and then we want to fly him home to be with his family.

“He had a lot of friends, and I’ve had people that I don’t even know asking me about his funeral.

“He was such a nice person to me, so I wanted to make sure he could be home with his family.

“His parents want him to be there so they can say goodbye to him properly.

“He was a really good friend of mine and I wanted to give something back him as a thank-you.”

Helen and Godfrey’s family – he was one of ten children – are looking to raise £5,000 to send him home.

Godfrey’s brother Charles, who lives in Coventry, said: “We want to bury him at home, and it would be good for our mum and dad to see him and bid their farewells to him.

“They haven’t seen him for a long time, so it would be good to honour our family and they can see him for one last time. They can’t fly over here to say goodbye.”

You can donate to the cause at gofundme.com/ lets-help-godfreys-family-get-him-home-to-rest