Police search river and woodland in hunt for missing Doncaster man

John Parker, aged 54, was last seen at his home in Warmsworth Road, Balby, on Saturday, October 28 and was reported missing in the early hours of the following day.

He was captured on CCTV cameras near his home at 11.35pm but there have been no sightings since.

South Yorkshire Police said 'extensive land and water searches' have been carried out with the River Don and its embankment checked.

Superintendent Neil Thomas said: “We are grateful to the community in Balby, the wider Doncaster area and the people of South Yorkshire who have shared our public appeals far and wide.

“However, we are now over two weeks into our search for John and we have no new information about where he might be.

“Our officers and staff have been scouring CCTV in the Warmsworth Road area of Balby, resulting in the last known sighting of John on that road at around 11.35pm after leaving his home address.

“We have also carried out extensive house-to-house enquiries in the surrounding area, speaking to residents to establish whether there is any more CCTV available or any snippet of information that could help us find John."

He added: "We’ve spoken with, and shown John’s picture to, many people in the town centre as well as in Doncaster’s interchange and railway stations. That’s in addition to checking the CCTV at these locations in case John got a bus or train out of Doncaster.

“Unfortunately, none of this activity has provided new lines of enquiry and so we’ve had specialist searches of the River Don, its embankment and the nearby woodland area to see if this provides any further clues as to John’s whereabouts.

“Our concerns for John remain incredibly high, especially as the last week or so has seen temperatures plummet overnight.

“I’m thankful for the support of other agencies like the National Police Air Service and Search and Rescue teams, as well as to our own mounted and off-road bikes teams for their hard work and continued efforts to find John.

“We remain in contact with John’s family and provide updates and support where we can during this difficult time. As I’m sure we can all empathise, not knowing where your loved one is must be very distressing.

“This is why it’s so important that anyone that has any information, no matter how small or insignificant you feel it may be, makes contact with police and passes this on.”

Call South Yorkshire Police on 101.