THE mother of a man who has been missing for nine months has made a fresh appeal for him to come home.

John Ford, aged 41, was last seen at his home in Weston Street, Atherton, on Tuesday, February 1, at around 11am.

One of his neighbours remembers seeing him that morning but he has not been seen since.

Two months later, on Monday, April 4, Mr Ford's car was found in a car park at Keswick in Cumbria. A search was carried out in the area but there was no trace of the missing man.

Mystery stills surrounds the disappearance of Mr Ford.

His mother, Sandra Ford, who lives in Dorset, has not heard from him since February.

She said: "I want to urge John to get in touch and let me know that he is OK. Even if he does not feel able to contact me direct, I just want him to find some way of letting me know that he is alive and safe."

Officers in Atherton are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare.

Mr Ford is described as white, 6ft 1in and of heavy build. He has ginger hair, which is thinning, blue eyes and a moustache.

Anyone with any information about Mr Ford's whereabouts is asked to contact officers at Atherton on 0161 856 7301 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.