Joseph Derbisz

We have been informed that West Midlands police, who have been searching for our third-year student, Joseph Derbisz, have sadly found the body of a man off Edgbaston Park Road today (28 March).

The 21-year-old was last seen in the early hours of yesterday morning and, although formal identification is yet to take place, Joe’s family have been informed. The police are not treating his death as suspicious.

We are absolutely devastated to learn about the death of Joe. Our thoughts are with Joe’s family and friends at this very difficult time. We are doing everything we can to support Joe’s friends and family, as well as the wider student and staff community.

We continue to work with the police as they conduct their enquiries and are unable to comment further at this stage. You will see an increased police presence in the area and at the University this afternoon; please feel free to speak with them.

We encourage any of our students who have been affected by this tragedy to contact the confidential listening and support service, UB Heard, or your Wellbeing Officer.

For any of our staff who are affected, we encourage you to contact your HR representative or access our free 24 hours support service: Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Citizen's Advice (birmingham.ac.uk)