POLICE are renewing their appeal to help trace a man who went missing in Bury St Edmunds yesterday.

Christopher Swindell, 50, left his home in Brockesby Walk, Bury St Edmunds at around 5am yesterday morning in order to get a replacement battery for his car. He has not returned and has not been in contact since.

Later in the afternoon his wife received a call to say that Christopher’s mobile phone had been found by a walker on a footpath near to the A143 between Bury St Edmunds and Horringer.

Christopher is described as white, of stocky build, around 5ft 10ins and with dark shaven hair. He was wearing a black thigh length fleece style jacket, a black jumper with thin white horizontal stripes, dark jeans, a black beanie hat and dark blue trainers, possibly with Velcro fastenings. He also wears glasses.

Following an earlier media appeal a member of the public has called police confirming they saw a man matching Christopher’s description walking along the A143 between Bury St Edmunds and the Horringer/Chedburgh area.

Christopher has not gone missing before and police and are asking him, or anyone who may have seen him, to get in contact immediately.

Inspector Bruce Gent from Suffolk Police said: “We are becoming increasingly concerned for Christopher’s welfare. With the cold temperatures that we have been experiencing we are worried that he has been missing for this amount of time without contacting his family – which is out of character for him.

“Working with the Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue team we have been carrying out searches to try to locate Christopher but we are calling upon landowners, farmers and indeed anyone living in the area to check their outbuildings and sheds as he may have sought shelter somewhere from the cold.

“We are continuing with our enquiries today but would ask anyone to call us if they know the whereabouts or have seen a man matching Christopher’s description.”

Calls should be made to Suffolk Police on 101 immediately.