Police believe an ill missing man from Yorkshire could be in the Borders.
Matthew John Thornton, pictured right, disappeared from his Skipton home nearly two weeks ago, but was only reported missing by a friend on Sunday.
There are concerns for the 45-year-old who suffers from a long-standing illness, and despite a sighting in Windermere, Cumbria, officers think he could have headed into the southern area of the Borders.
Inspector Craig Linton, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “It is out of character for him to be away from home for this length of time and his family and friends are clearly worried about him.
“There have been positive sightings of him in Cumbria, which is encouraging, and I would urge anyone who sees Matthew or knows where he is to contact the police as soon as possible.
“I would also like to appeal directly to Matthew and ask him to get in touch if he sees this appeal and let us know that he is OK.”
Matthew walks with a distinctive gait and has obvious physical tics as a result of his illness. He is described as being 5ft 10in tall, with a medium build, brown eyes and short dark-brown hair. He is believed to be wearing a dark blue raincoat and blue jeans.
Anyone who can help police to locate Matthew is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 – select option 2 – and ask for Skipton police, quoting reference number 12120011501.