Army officials are trying to trace a former prisoner of war from Brighton.

Personal papers belonging to Guardsman Stanley Russell have been returned to the Ministry of Defence from Russia.

But efforts to trace Mr Russell or his relatives have failed and now the MoD is appealing for help.

A pay book belonging to Mr Russell was among a batch of documents belonging to 79 Second World War veterans handed back to Foreign Secretary Robin Cook following lengthy negotiations with the Russian government.

German forces captured many documents from British PoWs, including photos, diaries and service books.

At the end of the war they were among a mass of papers taken by Soviet forces to Moscow and they remained there for 50 years.

The MoD has managed to find most of the veterans or their families but is still looking for 24 of them, including Mr Russell.

The only details it has are that Mr Russell was a member of the Grenadier Guards who left the Army in 1946 to live with his wife Nora in Brighton. He was born on May 2, 1920.

A ceremony is being held to return the documents to the veterans and relatives of those who have since died at the Imperial War Museum in London on November 7.

Dr Lewis Moonie, Under Secretary of State for Defence, said: "I hope the public will be able to assist us in our quest for the remaining veterans."

If you have information about Mr Russell or his relatives, contact our newsdesk on 01273 544517.