Missing man's family urges him to seek help

Police have said that Matthew Lloyd needs immediate treatment to counter the drugs given to him during the trial.

The 35-year-old, who normally works at Southampton General Hospital, phoned in ill to work last week, according to Hampshire Police.

Mr Lloyd, from Shirley, Southampton, Hampshire, then failed to attend his appointment in Oxford for the trial on Thursday and has not been seen since.

Yesterday his parents, Doreen Holland aged 64, and Michael Holland, 74, and sister Claire Holland, 31, made an emotional appeal to Mr Lloyd.

The family, from the Wellington area of Somerset, said: “Matthew is a responsible, ambitious and focused man and his disappearance is totally out of character.

“We regularly speak to him on the phone, by text and by email and we knew he was taking part in these clinical trials; he told us about it back in July. We were totally shocked to find out that he had not turned up to his appointment in Oxford on October 7.

“It is not like him to take on a project and not follow it through.

“He was quite excited about taking part in these trials.

“He was doing this as a way of getting more experience and a means of furthering his career as a nurse.

“If you know where our son is or you have seen him then please, please, get in contact with the police and let us know he is safe and well.

“Matthew, if you are out there and you are unwell then please seek medical attention and ring the police or get someone to ring the police and tell us where you are. We all care about you and we just want to know you are ok and we want you back safe and sound.”

Mr Lloyd is white with short brown hair, of medium build with a swarthy complexion.

He is known to have connections with Cornwall and the Avon and Somerset area.