Tearful father Gareth Chaplin made an emotional plea for his missing son Paul to come home, writes Phil Clee.

His voice broke as he read out a personal message to his 20-year-old son who has been missing for a week. And he appealed to friends to help in the search.

Mr Chaplin was speaking at a press conference at Wantage Civic Hall after a major search failed to reveal any clues as to the whereabouts of the 20-year-old computer programmer.

He said: "Paul, if you can hear, this is a message from everyone you know.

"It's from Mum, Richard, Stuart, Grandad and Grandma Chaplin, Grandma Ridge and the rest of your family. "It's from your friends, Nick, Tom, Jim and Ben and many others you know locally, and your old university friends. It's from your new work colleagues."

Struggling to compose himself, he went on: "The message is a simple one - come home because we love you. If you feel you can't do this right now, just let us know you're safe and well. That's all we care about. To everyone who is listening, if you know something, know someone or think you have seen something, please, we need your help."

Paul, a graduate of Leicester University, was last seen about to leave a Christmas party last Wednesday at Oxford's Chicago Rock Cafe. The party was thrown by his employers, RM, the school computers firm based at Milton Park, near Abingdon.

Police revealed yesterday he had told colleagues he planned to catch a bus, or walk the 15 miles back to the family home in Roman Way, Wantage. They insisted he was not affected by drink when last seen.

Police divers spent yesterday searching waterways near the club.

Meanwhile the police helicopter, helped by mounted officers and tracker dogs, searched countryside along routes Paul might have taken. His father, 44, a manager at Crown Cork and Seal's packaging centre at the Grove Technology Park, was joined at the conference by his wife, Alison, 43, Paul's brother Richard, 18, other family members and Insp Paul Kirkland, head of Faringdon and Wantage police.

Insp Kirkland said police were now "very seriously concerned" for Paul's welfare.

He said: "There appears to be no reason why he would go missing.

"This is totally out of character and we're keeping an open mind. There's nothing to indicate any worries which may have sparked this off. "We are pursuing several inquiries, and our hope is that Paul is out there. We say, just let us know you're safe."

Of the emotional turmoil facing Paul's family, Insp Kirkland added: "It's a very tough time for them, and as days go by it is getting tougher."

The search for Mr Chaplin has even spread to the United States, to a university friend he e-mailed regularly.

Staff at RM in Abingdon have joined the search by distributing photographs of Paul.

Personnel director Russell Govan said: "He has not been here that long. He was a relatively quiet fellow but was extremely good at his job. He was well liked and very popular. "A lot of people here are very upset. He had been working particularly hard the day before the party.

"He had booked the Thursday after the party off as holiday in advance, so it was not until Friday that we became aware that there was a problem.

"Police have interviewed colleagues and we have published his photo on the company Internet site appealing for information. People are doing as much as they can."

Paul was last seen wearing light trousers, a white shirt and a blue cord jacket.

Story date: Wednesday 15 December

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