Missing man hoped to meet online pal

The family of 46-year-old Mervyn Craig, a Northern Irishman from Lisburn near Belfast, are becoming concerned after being unable to contact him for the past 11 days.

Their worries are compounded because he is a diabetic and insulin dependent requiring daily self-medication via injection from a weekly prescription.

A failure to administer it could leave him disorientated, mumbling and confused.

Mervyn, who is white, is described as “burly” and at least 6ft 4ins tall.

He usually has a shaved head although if he hasn’t used a razor since going missing he will now have a bald crown with a light covering of white / grey hair around it.

He was last seen at the Arnold Clark Motorstore on Wigan Wallgate on Monday (February 8) at around 8pm.

At that time he was wearing a light grey “Tapout” T-shirt and dark jeans.

Speaking from her home in the Province, Mervyn’s daughter Samantha said that her father had travelled to England to find work on January 28.

He is experienced in manual labour in farming or road construction as well as laying tarmac.

Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is asked to call Greater Manchester Police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

She said: “He told us he was going over to England to find a job.

“Although he is independent and likes his own company, it is very, very unusual for him to not be in touch - in fact it is totally out of character.

“Because all his family are still back here in Northern Ireland a long way away it makes it even more worrying and upsetting, not knowing what is going on or if anything has happened to him.

“He told us he went to Wigan because he had met someone online and wanted to meet up with her, but we don’t know if he did in the end.

“I have no idea why he was at the car dealers where he was. He doesn’t drive, he doesn’t even have a licence.

“My Dad has a very strong accent from the North - that will make him stand out.” Detective Inspector Martin Reddington confirmed that Greater Manchester Police had now utilised “significant resourses” to find him, including the use of Integrated Neighbourhood Police Team officers, Police Community Support Officers, Tactical Aid Unit and even the Underwater Search Team. He said: “Mervyn has now been missing for more than a week and we are growing more concerned for his welfare.”