A religious man, he loved the countryside.

Speaking during an appeal for information in 2008, Mrs Cook described her husband as "a most loving, kind, wonderful father," and "a selfless man."

She said that he had been under considerable pressure at work for some time, which may have played a part in his disappearance.

Police appeals nationwide, a search of Liverpool docks, and "missing" adverts on the sides of lorries had all failed to find Mr Cook.

He was a member of a 1977 Merseyside Himalayan Expedition and he had scaled some of the highest peaks in the world.

His mountaineering background led police to appeal to member of the climbing community to try to remember if they had seen him in areas such as the Lake District.

Appeals also focused on hitch hiking in his youth, and drivers were asked if they had spotted someone hitching at the time.

But despite national media attention no progress was made in the search for Mr Cook despite a number of supposed sightings up and down the country, including one placing him in a church.

Meticulous checks of his bank and mobile phone records showed no accessing of his accounts after his disappearance.

His wife spoke of an increasing workload which may have led to some kind of breakdown and even amnesia.