Search continues for missing elderly man

John Taylor, 86, has been missing since Tuesday morning

The son of a vulnerable elderly man who has been missing since Tuesday morning has thanked the community for its help in the search.

John Taylor, 86, was last seen at Abbey Fields, Kenilworth, next to Finham Brook, shortly before 09:30 GMT.

His son Jonathan Taylor told BBC CWR he had been blown away by the town's residents pulling together to try to find John.

"Volunteers [have been] offering their time, their thoughts, their support, in very adverse conditions - cold, wet, throughout the night," said Mr Taylor. "People have volunteered their time with drones... Everyone’s thinking of him, it’s been amazing."

Mr Taylor last saw his father on 27 November.

He said there was nothing unusual in his behaviour - he was "upbeat, funny, joking, talking about the football. Everything was as normal."

Warwickshire Police said concerns for the missing man's safety were growing.

"He's definitely in a slightly confused state, and that's making it harder to track his whereabouts," said Det Ch Insp Sutherland Lane. "He maybe wasn't in his normal state of mind and this is... completely out of the ordinary for him."

The force has been using drones, dogs and a helicopter in the search, and is asking anyone with dashcam footage of the Castle Road area from Tuesday to get in touch.

Det Ch Insp Sutherland Lane said concerns for John Taylor's welfare were growing

Paul Miles, a family friend who has been helping coordinate the volunteer effort, asked people in the Kenilworth area to check their gardens.

"He’s not in the open. There have been lots of drones up, lots of helicopters," he said. "We have a strong feeling he’s either under something or in something, and that would lead you to a shed or a garage, an outhouse of some description."

Mr Taylor said the whole family was desperate for news.

"If I could speak to him directly now, I’d ask him to please just reach out to someone nearby and ask for help," he said. "The whole town wants to help you.

"We just want our Pop back."