At 00.33hrs very early this morning the team was paged by GMP regarding our urgent assistance with a developing search for a missing man.

The 41 year old man was missing from his Southport home, earlier on Friday 2nd January, and was the subject of a Merseyside Police missing person enquiry.

Their enquiries established a family link to Bolton, and the subsequent involvement of GMP.

GMP had information that the man involved may have been in the Smithills area of Bolton, possibly upon the moorland fringes of Smithills Moor.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE placed the team on immediate standby at 00.45hrs by pager, whilst obtaining further information from GMP.

Meanwhile team members Steve Fletcher, Mike Marsh and John Dickinson were travelling to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ to start preparing for the likely search.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE in consultation with a GMP Missing Person Search Manager, decided to meet up with him and Divisional Police Officers at the Bobs Smithy Public House, on Chorley Old Road to discuss search options, in view of mounting Police concerns over the welfare of the missing man.

During these preparations and discussions, new Police intelligence came to light, that possibly placed the missing person in another area of Bolton entirely, and the need and requirement for mountain rescue search support assistance was no longer required.

At 01.09hrs the team was paged to stand down, and those at home on standby could finally get back to sleep.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE made further contact with the GMP Missing Person Search Manager, in case the team was required later (Which as it turned out we were not)

Garry finally got to bed at circa 01.40hrs.