Corrie Mckeague: Friends' hopes over missing RAF man

Station commander Mick Smeath said everyone at RAF Honington was "desperate" to have Corrie Mckeague back

Friends who were with an RAF serviceman when he went missing are "hoping it's not the last time they see him", a station commander said.

Corrie Mckeague, 23, went missing after being separated from the group on a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Gp Capt Mick Smeath, who leaves his post at RAF Honington on Friday, said Mr Mckeague often "used to go off".

Mr Mckeague's friends knew about his "lifestyle" and "did not feel guilty", he said.

"I don't think they feel guilty," said Gp Capt Smeath. "He was used to going off on his own. They knew what his lifestyle was like. I think they are just very sad. They are hoping it's not the last time they see him."

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Gp Capt Mick Smeath said he was disappointed to go before the gunner was found and described the disappearance as "unusual".

A commander has said leaving an RAF base with a serviceman still missing had made his departure "hard".

"Leaving a station you have commanded for two years is actually quite a sad thing to do," he said. "Leaving with Corrie missing is actually quite hard. I really wanted Corrie to be found before I left, mainly for the family, for the station and also for me - he's one of mine."

Corrie Mckeague was 'very professional' and 'popular' at his RAF station

He is "absolutely larger than life" and "very popular", said Gp Capt Smeath, who described the disappearance on 24 September as "unusual".

He said: "It's unusual for people to go missing in the services - we've never had that at RAF Honington.

"There was shock initially. Now there's very much concern."

Mr Mckeague, from Dunfermline, Fife, was last seen on CCTV walking along Brentgovel Street in the town just after 03:20 BST.

Corrie Mckeague was last seen walking alone in Bury St Edmunds

He had become separated from his friends after he was escorted out of Flex Nightclub on St Andrew's Street South just after 01:00 BST.

Gp Capt Smeath ruled out any link with the attempted abduction of an RAF Marham serviceman.

The outgoing station commander said Mr Mckeague was "very professional".