York river search for missing Rory Johnson to resume

Adverse weather and rising water levels led police teams looking for missing Rory Johnson to postpone their operations on the River Ouse, in York, after a safety assessment on Tuesday morning.

Mr Johnson, from Skipton in North Yorkshire, was last seen in the early hours of Friday morning and police fear he may have got into difficulty while walking near the river.

Police said Mr Johnson was in The Postern Gate Wetherspoon pub with a friend at around 11,30pm on Thursday.

They returned to the York Central Travelodge, on Piccadilly, but Mr Johnson left at 12.15am on Friday and went to a nearby pub with a fellow hotel guest, leaving at about 12.30am.

A police spokesman said: “One line of inquiry is that Rory may have got into difficulty while walking near the River Ouse in the Castle Mills area at around that time.”

Mr Johnson did not return to the hotel and failed to arrive at work in Skipton on Friday evening.

Police said calls to his mobile phone are going to answer phone, there has been no activity on his Facebook page, and he has not been in contact with his family - which is said to be out of character.

Mr Johnson’s family are being supported by police officers and more than 16,000 people have joined a Facebook group to help find him.

The Humberside Police Underwater Search Unit and the York Rescue Boat have been scouring the river for Mr Johnson since the weekend.

On Tuesday night the Yorkshire and The Humber Marine Unit tweeted it planned on returning to York to continue the search.

The operation is the latest in a series of major river searches in York, following the deaths of student Megan Roberts, shop worker Ben Chapman and soldier Tyler Pearson - who all died in rivers in the city last year.

Officers searching for Mr Johnson are continuing to follow up inquiries and are reviewing CCTV footage.

Mr Johnson is described as white, 5ft 11in, of slim build, with short blond hair. He was wearing a round-neck black top, blue jeans and white and navy trainers.

Police urged anyone who recalls seeing him in York on Thursday evening or Friday or has any information that could help the missing person inquiry to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12150207141.