Scotland’s deaf community was left shattered last night after the body of missing mother of four Kirsty Aitchison was discovered in the River Clyde in Glasgow.

The 30-year-old, who is deaf, was last seen walking along a street on the banks of the waterway in the early hours of last Sunday morning. Scottish Fire and Rescue were called to a section of the river near the Kingston Bridge and River Boat Casino yesterday.

A police spokesman said the death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Among those offering condolences to Aitchison’s grieving family was First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who said: “A sad end to a very sad week. My deepest condolences to Kirsty Aitchison’s family and friends.”

READ MORE: Kirsty Aitchison: Police confirm body pulled from River Clyde is that of the missing mum-of-four

Aitchison left the Campus bar in Glasgow’s city centre at 3am last Sunday before she was seen on CCTV “walking quickly and with purpose” along the Broomielaw at the riverside 15 minutes later.

The deaf community had been carrying out a systematic search of the city, many of them taking time off work to offer support.

Laura Dunn, 30, a close friend of Aitchison since they met at nursery school when they were both three-years-old, said: “We grew up together. Her children were her whole world.

Glasgow Times:

“The deaf community really pulled together to search for her.”

Another friend, Derek Todd, a project officer at charity Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD), said deaf people travelled from Dundee, Fife, Edinburgh, the Lothians, and Ayrshire to join the hunt.

READ MORE: Kirsty Aitchison: Police confirm body pulled from River Clyde is that of the missing mum-of-four

He said: “They all wanted to find Kirsty and bring her home to her four children and her family … this is a very difficult time for Kirsty’s family.”

Carly Brownlie, a development manager at the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI), who also knows Aitchison, said: “The deaf community in Scotland is a small community and we are very supportive of each other. Kirsty’s disappearance is a big shock … it has really affected people from the community.”

The most recent census in 2011 found that 12,533 people in Scotland use British Sign Language (BSL). Professor Graham H. Turner, director at the Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies in Scotland, said that is “a good indication” of the number of deaf people.

He said: “It’s a really close community and the common bond is the use of sign language. So, it’s not surprising to me that the community joined the search for Kirsty ... There are Facebook groups established and people have used these to share video encouraging people to get out and search.” Turner also praised the police for posting videos of an officer signing updates for friends of Aitchison. “Signing police officers is something that the community really appreciates,” he added.

READ MORE: Kirsty Aitchison: Police confirm body pulled from River Clyde is that of the missing mum-of-four

Todd described communication between police and the deaf community as “remarkable”. He added: “It has also raised the awareness and understanding of BSL across society as many people thought it was a disability thing when it is not, it is about language, the access to language and communication along with other different languages we have in Scotland.”

Detective Chief Inspector Gregg Banks, of Police Scotland’s National Safer Communities, said he is “most grateful for the support” provided by the Deaf community. “It is important to recognise the need to make our services accessible,” he said.

Curtains were drawn at Aitchison’s home in a quiet Robroyston cul-de-sac yesterday, where neighbours have been left devastated.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “They have been living here for years and she was a lovely lassie. We’re in shock but the street is sticking together.” Another, who also asked to remain anonymous, added: “It’s a difficult time.”

Police Scotland said: “Around 4.35pm on Saturday June 18 2016, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recovered the body of a woman from the River Clyde near to the Kingston Bridge. The body has now been formally identified as that of Kirsty Aitchison. The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. Our thoughts and condolences are with Kirsty’s family and friends during this difficult time.”