Anthony Knott: Missing firefighter 'may have come to harm,' police say

Firefighter Anthony Knott was due home in the early hours of 21 December

A firefighter who went missing on a Christmas work night out "may have come to some harm," police have said.

Anthony Knott was last seen at a pub in Lewes, East Sussex, with a group of 12 London firefighters on 20 December.

Sussex Police said there were no signs the 33-year-old, who had been due to return home in the early hours of Saturday, had left the town.

His partner Lucy Otto said: "I just feel numb... it's very strange. It's the not knowing, it's terrible."

Extensive inquiries and searches of CCTV recordings have been carried out to find Mr Knott, from Orpington.

Volunteers have been helping emergency services with the search, which has included scouring the nearby River Ouse.

Ch Insp Anita Turner said police were "grateful" for the assistance, but, for their own safety, asked that "the ongoing search is left to the emergency services".

The River Ouse is being search by the coastguard

Police described him as a "family man" and Ms Otto told BBC Radio Sussex he had been in a happy mood before he disappeared, adding: "He loved his job, he loved his family, it was just simply a Christmas night out."

Mr Knott, who is 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall, was wearing a black long-sleeve top, dark denim coat, dark denim jeans and black shoes.

The group were moving between various pubs, but he was last seen at 19:30 GMT in The Lamb in Fisher Street.