WATCH: Heartbroken family and friends of missing Anthony Bessey join together for search

More than a dozen people met to search woodland near the back of Crookhorn College, before splitting up to cover the vast forest either side of the A3(M) near to South Downs College.

The painstaking search for the 28-year-old has now stretched to three days.

This morning Mr Bessey’s family put out a fresh appeal on Facebook asking for information, and urged people to join them to look through woodland.

Mr Bessey’s niece Toni Micklewright, who was helping to lead the group, said: ‘We’ll look in as many places as possible to try and find him.

‘We’ve been sharing the appeal as much as we can on Facebook, and luckily we’ve had quite a big group come out to look for him today.’

The News reporter Kieran Davey joined the group this morning as they trawled through large areas of open spaces near to where Mr Bessey lived.

Other places they plan to search included Leigh Park Gardens, Purbrook Heath, Warren Park and Portsmouth Golf Course.

Police have grown increasingly concerned for the welfare of the man, whoe lives in Beresford Close in Waterlooville.

Officers have been looking for him in woodland off Park Lane, known as Queen’s Inclosure, part of the Forest of Bere.

He was last seen at home on Sunday afternoon.

Today a Hampshire Police spokesperson confirmed the search was still ongoing.

Officers have been working with firefighters and volunteer group Hampshire Search and Rescue.

A police helicopter was also spotted in the skies above Waterlooville on Monday.

Hampshire Constabulary’s Facebook post about Mr Bessey’s disappearence has now been shared more than 1,200 times.

Mr Bessey is described as white with a tanned complexion, 5ft 8ins tall, and as having short black hair.

He also has a tattoo of a wolf on his neck, wings on his back, and a clown on his right calf.

He was last seen wearing a flowery t-shirt with dark shorts.

His family has also confirmed that he is an asthma sufferer.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting crime reference number 44170263456.