Fears were growing last night for the safety of an elderly man who went missing.

Richard John Vinycombe, 83, of Forest Close, Crawley Down, went for a walk yesterday morning at 11.15am but never returned.

The pensioner, who suffers from dementia, enjoys walking the paths radiating from his home and Sussex Police asked residents to look out for him.

A spokesman said: "We are concerned for his safety and would like anyone of his whereabouts to contact us."

Mr Vinycombe is 5 ft 11 in, slim with grey hair and a grey beard. He was wearing beige trousers, a blue shirt and blue-grey jumper and possibly glasses.

Contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 with information.