The family of a missing British man who disappeared after leaving his holiday home in Spain have appealed for him to get in touch as concerns grow for his safety. Paul Daniel Strange, 70, vanished on Thursday the same day he was due to start the long drive back in his van from the fishing and tourist town of Palomares in Almeria to Essex where he lives.

The retired builder and locksmith, from Leigh-on-Sea, had been staying at a friend’s apartment. And today his worried loved ones revealed police had begun a search for the pensioner as the mystery of his whereabouts deepened and they said a neighbour had seen him leaving the property - but a friend who then let himself in after Paul went missing found belongings of his including a computer and clothes inside. Father-of-three Mr Strange’s son, also called Paul, said: “We’re obviously extremely worried and have already contacted police in Essex who have been in touch with Interpol and as we understand it, spoken to Spanish police so they can begin searching for him.

“We just want him to get in touch with us if he sees this message. His phone was switched off on Thursday and the following day a message came up saying it was unavailable. It’s extremely unlike Dad not to stay in touch.

"He drives down to Spain regularly to see friends so he knows his way around and when he makes the return journey he always rings my mum every few hours and relies on her to book somewhere for him to stay on the way.

“This time there’s been nothing. He was due to leave his accommodation last Thursday to drive to Calais.

“He drives a silver Sprinter van which is about six or seven years old and has a picture of a Carp fish on the back.

“It’s a UK-plated vehicle with the registration YE19 FAU. My dad’s originally from east London so speaks with a London accent, and he’s got a birth mark on his left temple.

“What we can’t fathom is the fact that a neighbour saw him leaving the place where he was staying on Thursday which was the day he was due to start the drive home after arriving in Palomares on Good Friday.

“But when a friend got into the apartment to check up on him he saw he’d left belongings inside including a laptop and clothes.

“He had a small bag with money and his passport on him but the stuff he’d left are not the sort of things someone wouldn’t take with them if they weren’t planning on coming back.”

He added: “My dad is a healthy, happy bloke and not someone with any reason to voluntarily disappear.

“This is obviously completely out-of-character and very worrying.”