Hundreds join search for missing Shropshire man Daniel Hodgin

Emily Hodgin was speaking as more than 200 people gathered at The Buttermarket in Shrewsbury to launch a day-long search for the missing 20-year-old, or for any clues to his whereabouts.

They were armed with "missing" posters printed by the Shropshire Star, which were distributed around the town and were today made available online for anyone to print or distribute through social media.

Daniel, from Madeley in Telford, was last seen in the early hours of November 23 after leaving The Buttermarket following a night out.

He used his mobile to call his mother Lorraine at 5.30am to say he did not know where he was and that he was going to walk home. But he has not been seen or heard from since, despite extensive police searches which continued over the weekend with four boats and search and rescue teams out on the River Severn.

Emily said she wanted to urge people to keep checking their gardens and to look out for Daniel or any of his possessions.

She said: "So many people have turned out, including a lot of people who don't even know Daniel or the family. We would like to thank everyone.

"I hope he is alright. I just wish he would come home because it is ripping our family apart. My mum and dad are absolutely distraught. I am very hopeful that Daniel will be found. We have got to stay positive. I think he will be home because he wouldn't want to miss Christmas."

Friends, family members and volunteers turned out in their droves to join the search for missing Daniel as concerns continued to grow about his whereabouts a week after he went missing.

More than 200 people turned up at The Buttermarket in Shrewsbury on Saturday morning to be briefed on the latest position regarding the search for the 20-year-old.

Chief Inspector Tom Harding, of West Mercia Police, then split them into groups before sending them out on their way.

Some groups were tasked with knocking door-to-door and walking through the town, handing out posters and asking people with information to get in touch with the police.

Others were dispatched down to the riverbank to hack through undergrowth and search for clues.

At the same time the extensive police operation to try and trace him continued, with four boats whizzing up and down the River Severn throughout Saturday and a special search and rescue team drafted in.

People who did not know Daniel but had heard of his disappearance in the media or online turned up to bolster the numbers – but the great majority were those who knew him or his family.

Delegations turned up in minibuses from Telford and all spoke of their hope of finding something which would lead to him being found.

Glen Payton, 50, from Telford, said he was a friend of the family and was searching undergrowth near the river.

"I just wanted to help," he said.

On the other side of the river, mothers Stephanie Shinton, Joanne Heath and Debbie Gower, also all from Telford, were also searching.

Mrs Shinton, 40, said she grew up with Daniel's father Dennis and had known his mother Lorraine since she was 16.

She said: "It could have been one of our sons or one of our children – and I know for a fact if it was that Dennis and Lorraine would have been out helping us to look for them. So it is the least we can do."

Mrs Heath, 39, said they had found a driver's licence in the undergrowth but it did not belong to Daniel.

Peter Griffiths, from Madeley, also joined the search, and patrolled the river bank looking for clues while also carrying a poster of Daniel to show passers-by and appeal for information.

The 51-year-old, who runs a small engineering firm, said his company did business with Daniel's father's and he knew the pair well. "I live about a five-minute walk away from them," he said. "I have got three children myself and the eldest is 19 – it could have been him.

"You can't begin to imagine what his parents must be going through."

Jake Lloyd, John Matthews and Josh Smith also joined the search. The trio, all 20, played with Daniel as youngsters for Holmer Lake Wanderers, a team managed by Daniel's father Dennis.

Jake, from Telford, who works in IT, said: "We wanted to come out and help.He was always a quiet lad, very laid-back, but well-liked by everyone."

Daniel is white, about 5ft 9ins, with short spiked brown hair and stubble. Anyone with information can call police on 101.

Meanwhile, the rescue team involved in the search Daniel has secured funds for a new search boat, just two days after one was irreparably damaged on the River Severn .

The West Midlands Search & Rescue Team (WMSAR) were helping with a search of the river in Shrewsbury on Saturday when the boat hit debris in the water.

But now thanks to public donations, including a sizeable £1,000 donation from the Turner family who run Turner's Furniture Store, the team are now able to purchase a new boat straight away.

The new boat is likely to cost in the region of £1,200.

Richard Rollinson, asset manager with the WMSAR, said: "This is a wonderful gesture by the community for an important thing, and it is great we can order this so quickly and get back up to full strength."