At 03.30hrs in the very early hours of the morning we were contacted by GMP to assist in an urgent search centred on the Mesnes Park area near to Wigan town centre.

Police were very concerned for the welfare of a missing 38 year old man, who was believed to be in the vicinity of this large urban park, surrounded in parts by dense undergrowth.

By 04.09hrs following more Police intelligence a full team page call out was made, with our first team members arriving at the Park Road / Parsons Walk entrance to the Mesnes Park at 05.00hrs.

Joined by GMP Divisional Officers and one GMP General Purpose Police Dog team, our 17x team members who had responded commenced a search, whilst overhead the Greater Manchester Police Air Support Unit helicopter conducted an overhead search of the area as a glorious dawn morning broke.

The joint Mountain Rescue / Greater Manchester Police intensive search of the park, the nearby Wigan College Campus and dense areas of undergrowth bordering the main nearby railway line, (outside the rail line boundary fence) were concluded with no result by 07.00hrs in the morning.

Team members then quickly departed (for some straight to work) with Police enquiries into the whereabouts of the missing man continuing.