A huge community search is under way as police are growing increasingly concerned for a missing person from Gunnislake.

Worried villagers are out in force looking for Frederick (known as Fred) Jackson, 84, who was last seen at about 11.15am yesterday (Monday, February 10 ).

Family and friends have been searching the village since daylight. He is said to be a prolific walker by people who know him. The police helicopter was reported to be seen searching last night.

Gunnislake’s Rising Sun pub is acting as an unofficial hub for the search with manager Sarah Reeves helping to coordinate volunteers scouring the area for Fred.

She is providing flapjacks and bottles of water and foil blankets for the volunteer searchers to help Fred. She has also enlisted a volunteer drone operator to search from the sky.

Sarah said: “I don’t know Fred personally, but lots of my customers do and we are a close community, so we’re doing what we can to support his family and hopefully find him safe and well.

“We’ve set up the pub as an unofficial community hub for people to report to and tell us where they’ve been looking and we’re marking their search area on a map we’ve laid out. We’re also asking people to send us reports on Facebook of where they’ve searched, so we can be a bit organised.

“We’ve got a company who are sending up a drone to look from above in areas where Fred might be. We know he loves walking, so we;’re concentrating on routes he might have been.”

Frederick is described as being a white male of tanned complexion, around 5ft 8ins tall, of slight build, with grey and white hair and clean shaven.

He is believed to be wearing a brown jacket and green denim trousers.

Fred’s neighbour Sarah Ashby said: “Fred loves walking, but he won’t go anywhere inaccessible. He won’t climb over gates or walls. So he should be on the public paths.”

If you have seen Fred, or know of his whereabouts, please call police immediately on 999 quoting log number 427 of February 10.