Desperate hunt launched for Brit who vanished on holiday | UK | News
The family of a missing British man who vanished after leaving his holiday home in Spain have appealed for people to contact him as concerns grow for his safety. Paul Daniel Strange, 70, disappeared on Thursday, the day he was due to take his minibus on a long journey from the fishing and tourist town of Palomares in Almeria to Essex, where he lived.
He was staying at the flat of a friend, a retired builder and locksmith from Leigh-on-Sea. And today, worried loved ones revealed police began searching for the pensioner as the mystery of the pensioner’s whereabouts deepened, with a neighbor reporting seeing him leaving the property; However, after Paul’s disappearance, a friend of his went inside and found his belongings, including a computer and clothes. Dad-of-three Mr Strange’s son, also called Paul, said: “Obviously we are extremely concerned and we have contacted the Essex police who have been in contact with Interpol and we have spoken to the Spanish police so they can start looking for him as we understand it.
“We just want him to contact us if he sees this message. On Thursday his phone was switched off and the next day there was a message saying he was unavailable. “It is extremely unusual for my father to not stay in touch.
“He travels to Spain regularly to see friends so he knows his way around and on the return journey he always calls my mum every few hours and gets her help booking a place to stay while he is on the road.
“Nothing happened this time. He was due to leave home for Calais last Thursday.
“He drives a silver Sprinter van that is about six or seven years old and has a picture of a Carp on the back.
“YE19 is an FAU registered vehicle with UK registration plates. My father is originally from East London, so he speaks with a London accent and has a birthmark on his left temple.
“What we cannot understand is that a neighbor saw him leaving his accommodation on Thursday, the day he was due to head home after arriving in Palomares on Good Friday.
“But when a friend went into the flat to check on him, he saw that he had left his belongings inside, including his laptop and clothes.
“He had a small money bag and his passport on him, but the items he left behind were not the kind of things someone wouldn’t take with them if they weren’t planning on returning.”
He added: “My father is a healthy, happy man and not someone who would have any reason to voluntarily disappear.
“This is obviously completely out of character and very concerning.”
