Appeal over missing student, 22

FEARS are growing for a 22-year-old man who went missing after a night out in Wetherby as police last night made an urgent appeal for a taxi driver believed to have vital information to come forward.

Steven Johnson, a student at Bradford College, vanished after a night out with a male friend in the town centre on Saturday. Police have been searching open land in the Wetherby area and the banks of the river Wharfe, believing he may have attempted to walk to his home in Clifford.

Last night police said CCTV footage showed a man matching Mr Johnson's description speaking to the driver of a silver private hire vehicle on the main Wetherby Road close to the bridge over the river Wharfe at 00.55 on Sunday.

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The CCTV is poor quality but it is believed the taxi could be a Ford Mondeo hatchback.

This is close to the bridge over the river Wharfe where Mr Johnson is last believed to have been seen between 12.30am and 1am.Examinations of his mobile phone indicates he and his male friend appear to have lost contact with each other shortly after mid- night and were trying to get in touch.

Det Chief Insp Melanie Jones, said Mr Johnson's family were: "understandably distraught at not knowing what's happened to him."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the helpdesk at Killingbeck Police Station via: 0845 6060606.