Police ask farmers to aid search for man

POLICE yesterday issued an urgent appeal to North Yorkshire’s farming community to help in the search for a pensioner as fears continue to grow for his safety more than a week after he vanished.

North Yorkshire Police officers have mounted a massive operation since Graham Roskell was last seen leaving Harrogate District Hospital, where he was receiving treatment, at about 8am on November 3. While there have been more than 40 potential sightings of the 65-year-old, he has still to be traced. Officers yesterday appealed for the public, and farmers in particular, to check outbuildings.

Inspector Dave Hall said: “Although we have had a great response from people who have reported sightings and helped to search for Mr Roskell, there is still a real need for residents in and around Harrogate to search their outbuildings for him. I would especially appeal to local farmers to have a good look in their barns and other outbuildings to see if Mr Roskell has found a little corner where he has managed to keep himself warm, dry and out of sight. I would also urge people to report any sightings of anyone matching Mr Roskell’s description straight away.”

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Specially trained officers yesterday searched Crimple Wood, near the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, after a sighting of Mr Roskell was reported in the area. House-to-house inquiries have been carried out, while searches have been conducted along the railway line from Harrogate to Mr Roskell’s home village of Kirk Hammerton. A search of the River Nidd was completed on Sunday, while appeal posters have been put up in shops and businesses.

Mr Roskell is white, 5ft 11ins and of a medium build. He has greyish white hair, and was wearing glasses when he was last seen. When he went missing, he was wearing black leather lace-up shoes, olive green trousers and a cream and green horizontally-striped rugby-style top.