Family searches Foxes Forest in Portsmouth for Gosport man 'struggling with lockdown' who has been missing since May

Gosport resident Gareth Jones was last seen near the Hilsea Lido, in London Road, on Friday, May 8.

Gareth – who was wearing a dark parka jacket, a grey T-shirt, dark jeans, and grey trainers – was recorded on CCTV and spoke to an off-duty police officer in the area.

On Saturday, more than 15 people spent five hours searching Foxes Fores, along the Hilsea Lines, according to Chris Taylor, a co-ordinator from the Denmead Drone Search and Rescue group.

He said: ‘We found some sleeping areas that could be linked to Gareth.

‘There’s about three or four sleeping areas in the forest.

‘There’s not conclusive evidence that he is there, but we would still want to encourage people to keep any eye out in the forest.’

The 39-year-old had been staying in a hostel in Fareham when his declining mental health led to his admittance at Queen Alexandra Hospital on the day he was last seen, according to his stepmother, Mary Jones.

She said: ‘The hostel had phoned for the ambulance because of his mental state.

‘He last spoke to his mum at (Queen Alexandra), and he was in a very distressed state.

‘He wasn’t coping with the lockdown – he was finding it very hard.’

The missing man has slept rough in the past, according to his stepmother – but has never gone missing for so long without contacting his loved ones.

Mary said: ‘He normally keeps in contact with people.

‘He has gone off before, but only for a couple of days.

‘We don’t know the details of how he left the hospital.’

She added: ‘All we need to know is that he is alive and safe.’

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Police officers were not present at the search on Saturday, but are continuing to appeal for information and work with the missing man’s family.

A police spokesman said: ‘If you have any information as to his whereabouts, please call 101 and quote incident number 44200163176.’

His disappearance has been registered with Missing People UK.

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