Delamere Forest search for missing man, 50

Nov 12 2007 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

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THE SEARCH for a St Helens man, missing from his home since Thursday, was called off for the second time last night as darkness descended.

Officers from Cheshire police, along with a number of civilian search and rescue teams, have been combing Delamere Forest over the weekend for Alan Matthews, 50.

He was last seen by his partner as he left for work from his home in Brooklands Road, Eccleston, at 7.45am on Thursday.

Police are concentrating their efforts in the woodland area after they found Mr Matthews’s vehicle, a silver Mercedes, in a public car park nearby.

Walkers in the well-known beauty spot, near Chester, have also joined in the hunt.

The woodland search began on Saturday and continued yesterday. It is expected to get under way again today.

Police officers from Cheshire are conducting the search on behalf of Merseyside police. They are being assisted in their efforts by teams from Mountain Rescue and Cheshire Lowland Search and Rescue.

Inspector Adele Jones, force incident manager for Cheshire police, said last night: “The search for Mr Matthews has now been called off without any discoveries being made. It will resume again in the daylight.

“We are liaising with our colleagues from Merseyside in the search for Mr Matthews, and several civilian search and rescue organisations have also been helping us.

“They have their own expertise and equipment such as search dogs.

“We have cordoned off certain areas, but members of the public have still been able to access the forest and indeed some of them have been assisting with the search.

“We have asked them to keep an eye out for him.”

Mr Matthews is described as white, 6ft 1ins tall, of slim build with thinning brown hair and clean-shaven.

* ANYONE with information on Mr Matthews is urged to contact Merseyside police on 0151 777 1561/2.

alanweston@dailypost.co.uk