Police searching for four teenagers who have been missing after going camping have found their bodies inside a crashed car.

A massive hunt was launched for Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris after they failed to return home from an overnight trip to the Snowdonia area.

North Wales Police said their bodies were recovered from a silver Ford Fiesta which appears to have left the road on the A4085 at Garreg, near Tremadog.

Superintendent Owain Llewelyn said: “At present, this appears to have been a tragic accident, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the four young men at this very difficult time.

“This has been an extensive search involving a number of different agencies and volunteers, and this is sadly not the outcome that any of us would have wanted.

“We would ask that the families be afforded the appropriate privacy and respect.”

Mr Llewelyn later told reporters outside police headquarters in St Asaph: “Police officers attended and located a Ford Fiesta vehicle on its roof, partially submerged in water.

“Tragically, the bodies of four young males were recovered from within the vehicle.

“The families of the missing boys have been informed. Our thoughts are with them at this desperate time.”

The force said inquiries were ongoing to establish the circumstances that led to the car leaving the road.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called on Tuesday at approximately 10.08am to reports of an incident near the A4085 between Nantmor and Tan-Lan.

“We sent an operations manager, two emergency ambulances and two Cymru high acuity response units to the scene where we were supported by the emergency medical retrieval and transfer service in two Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopters.”

The teenagers’ worried parents reposted on social media the police appeal for information.

One wrote: “Please keep sharing … if anyone knows anything or can think of anything that may help find the boys please contact the police. We are desperate for any news.”

Another wrote: “I am frantic with worry, one of these boys is my son Harvey, please please please share and tag anyone in Wales or get in touch with any information you may have.”

Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey, said she did not know they were going on a camping trip and thought they were going to stay at friend’s grandfather’s house.

“I am frantically worried, we haven’t slept a wink, we are desperate to chase any lead we can,” she told the BBC.

“If I’d have known (where he was going) I wouldn’t have let him due to the winter weather conditions.

“They are all sensitive, intelligent lads and we are just hoping they parked up, got lost and are OK.”

A spokesman for Shrewsbury Colleges Group had said earlier: “The college’s immediate thoughts are with the family and friends of the teenagers missing in North Wales.

“We can confirm that all four of the teenagers are students at Shrewsbury Colleges Group and are studying A-levels with the college.

“This is a very worrying time, and we all want them to be found safe and well.”