Fresh plea to trace missing Dumfries fisherman Charles Mellor
Police have issued a renewed plea to the public to help trace a 57-year-old man who went missing while fishing on the River Nith in Dumfries.
Charles Mellor has not been seen since Friday night.
He had been fishing near the former Carnation factory but never returned home.
Extensive search operations took place over the weekend, involving an inshore lifeboat, police dogs and fire crews, and are still ongoing.
Insp Stuart Wilson said: "Friends and family and indeed emergency services are now very concerned for the welfare of Charles Mellor.
"Mr Mellor went fishing on Friday evening and the last sighting we have of him is about 10pm on Friday evening and that was around about the Nunholm area."
He was wearing a red hooded top and black tracksuit bottoms with white stripes down the side when he was last seen.
"Given the weather conditions we have had over the last few days - it has been quite wet and windy - we can't rule out the possibility that Charles has sought refuge in a garden or under some form of cover," said Insp Wilson.
"So we really are looking for help from the public in finding Charles in case he has been taken unwell."
'Build the jigsaw'
He asked people to check gardens and outhouses in the area.
Police are particularly keen to trace a woman who was seen using her mobile phone or a tablet computer in a car parked in the area at about 22:00 on Friday.
"If anyone has got any information at all who was in that area or who might have known Charles or anything he might have said about where he was going over the last few days please get in touch with us via 101," said Insp Wilson.
"It is that little piece of information that sometimes just builds the jigsaw and allows us to ensure the safety of Charles."