Volunteers who have been involved in the search for missing Workington man Nicholas Degraff have been praised by the inspector investigating his disappearance.
Officers were alerted at 12.30pm on Sunday that the 23-year-old had not returned home after he was last seen leaving a friend’s house at five o’clock that morning.
A major search was then launched and is still continuing, with police, fire, mountain rescue, coastguard, inshore rescue and volunteers all involved.
Nicholas left an address on Rosemary Gardens in Great Clifton and never made it to Workington.
A search party is being organised for this morning to help with a line search along the river bank and woodland from Ripton Hall to Millfield.
“We’ve had tens of volunteers who have turned out for Nick. His sister has fronted the volunteer response and will be putting something together this morning,” said Police Inspector Laura Boyd.
“It is outstanding that people want to do the best they can to get him found.”
The inspector has huge sympathy for the family.
“I haven’t spoken to them but I can only imagine how they must be feeling, but despite that they are doing the best they can,” she said.
“The social media stuff (the family have been doing) has been really helpful too.”
Anyone who has knowledge of Nicholas’ whereabouts is urged to call 999.
Nicholas is described as 5ft 10in, of slim build and with short, brown hair.
He has tattoos on his face and neck with spacer ear piercings.
He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black jogging bottoms, work boots and carrying a grey-coloured drawstring shoulder bag. He had an Alsatian dog with him.
Nicholas also had in his possession a 3M SPEED GLAS black welding mask – likely carried in a bag – which would be quite distinctive if found, police said.
Anyone with any other information is urged to report it at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit or call 101.
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