Daniel Williams: Vigil held for missing Reading student

Daniel Williams, 19, was last seen in a student union bar at the University of Reading's Whiteknights campus

A vigil is being held "in the hope" of finding a student who has been missing for five days.

The University of Reading is hosting a gathering later in the nightclub where Daniel Williams was last seen at about 01:00 GMT on Thursday.

The 19-year-old was reported missing when he failed to return to his accommodation following a night out.

Thames Valley Police said the search for the computer science student would not stop "until we find Daniel".

The university tweeted to say it was inviting students and staff to "gather in solidarity and hope for Daniel Williams' safe return".

The university is holding a vigil in the student nightclub where Daniel Williams was last seen

University of Reading chaplain Anglican Chaplain Mark Laynesmith told the BBC students were in "shock".

"I think it's the uncertainty of what's going on here, what do we do, and especially young people around here, we don't have experience in dealing with that," he said.

"That is something that comes with age, so there is a sense of 'how do we cope'?"

He added the vigil was about "coming together in our compassion and our desire to see Daniel return".

Police said they had checked a lake and the countryside on Monday as part of an ongoing search for Mr Williams, originally from Sutton, London, which started over the weekend.

The university's students union appealed for people to deliver flyers to "raise awareness of the search" for Mr Williams.

Lead investigator Supt Jim Weems said searches had taken place around the campus and along potential routes he may have taken to get home.

"We are very worried about Daniel. Daniel is a very happy, popular student," he added.

Missing posters have been put up on walls, doors and windows across the University of Reading's campus

Supt Weems said the snow had "not hampered" the search to find the student, but the night Mr Williams disappeared was "one of the coldest nights of the year".

Thames Valley Police said his disappearance was "completely out of character" and officers were "extremely concerned for his welfare".

Prof Robert Van de Noort, acting vice-chancellor at the University of Reading, said support was being offered to the student's housemates and friends.

Mr Williams is described as 6ft tall, slim, with short, light brown hair and blue eyes.

He was wearing jeans, black shoes and a black hooded top over a black T-shirt on the night he went missing.