Missing since Tuesday 24th June 2014, from his Leigh home, and last seen over a week ago in the vicinity of Leigh Sports Village, GMP have become increasingly concerned for the welfare of 33 years old Robert Paxton.

Police enquiries have resulted in public media appeals, with investigations in to his disappearance leading to the need for a search of the extensive Pennington Flash Country Park area.

Yesterday, Monday 30th June, two GMP Missing Person Search Managers liaised throughout the day, commencing at 11.06hrs, with our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, regarding the teams possible help in assisting the envisaged Police operation in this area.

Given the large potential search area, at 12.42hrs and then at 16.58hrs yesterday, our Team Leader respectively liaised with his colleague Team Leaders at Cheshire Search and Rescue Team and Rossendale and Pendle MRT, regards their teams possible assistance.

It was decided between Garry and GMP, that MRT / SART resources would be deployed on Wednesday evening, 2nd July, following on from GMP search operations which commenced in the Pennington Flash area on Monday 30th June utilising initially GMP Tactical Aid Unit resources.

Today, GMP resources were again allocated to the Pennington Flash Country Park area, consisting of Police Missing Person Search Managers, Divisional Officers, Tactical Aid Unit teams, PCSO’s, a large contingent from GMP Mounted Division, and Police General Purpose Dog teams.

Specialist Police Search Dog assets were also deployed by Merseyside Police, with the North West Police Search and Underwater Marine Unit also called in to start searching the numerous water bodies, large and small in the area.

Later in the afternoon of today a helicopter from the National Police Air Service, NPAS 21 based at City Airport Manchester, also joined in the search operation.

At 13.36hrs today, a full team pager call out message was sent, detailing the arrangements for tomorrow evenings search.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, and Bolton MRT members Mike Marsh and Martin Battersby, met at 13.30hrs this afternoon on site at Pennington Flash Country Park with GMP Missing Person Search Managers to further discuss and then carry out a reconnaissance of the envisaged search areas for Wednesday evenings envisaged phase of this search operation.

Also present at this meeting, which concluded at 16.00hrs were Team Leader Simon Lane and Deputy Team Leader Rick Lane of Cheshire Search and Rescue Team.

This evening, team members Mike Marsh and Steve Fletcher, following on from the on site meeting of this afternoon, planned out and printed multiple copies of the search area maps, whilst our Team President Bob Hutchinson, further liaised with our Support Group members to prepare menu’s and the required catering supplies, for all present tomorrow evening.

With GMP enquiries continuing, once more tomorrow, GMP and other Police search assets will be present in the Pennington Flash Country Park and surrounding area, with the MRT / SART phase of the search operation due to commence early evening from circa 17.20hrs.

Details of the missing man, 33 year old Robert Paxton may be found on the website of Greater Manchester Police.