FIREFIGHTERS with sonar equipment today (Friday, May 16) joined police in the search for missing student Luke Pearce.

The popular 19-year-old engineering student disappeared in the early hours of Sunday (May 11).

He had been drinking with friends in Jimmy Allen’s bar in Durham City on Saturday night and was last seen at about 1.30am on Sunday, walking along the river bank heading from Baths Bridge towards the bandstand and Durham rowing club.

His accommodation is nearby at Parsonsfield Court.

Today a police search team again covered the riverbanks and wooded areas near Baths Bridge and Maiden Castle.

Colleagues from the County Durham and Darlington Fire & Rescue Service in a dinghy also used sonar equipment under the water.

Chief Inspector Andy Huddleston of Durham Police said: "We expect this will be the final planned search of the area unless new information comes to light.

“Luke's family are aware of this and of course we will inform them immediately should there be any developments."

Tomorrow evening (Saturday, May 17) between 10.30pm and 1.30am officers will be joined by members of the university rugby club as they distribute flyers showing Mr Pearce's photo.

They will be stopping people out and about in Durham City, especially in the areas around Jimmy Allen's and Baths Bridge.

Police are keen to speak to a couple who were seen walking along the riverbank from Baths Bridge towards the bandstand at about 1.30am on Sunday morning to get in touch, as it is likely that they would have passed Mr Pearce.

Mr Pearce from Hounslow, West London, is a first-year Master Engineering student based at St Cuthbert’s Society.

He is white, 6ft 2in tall with short ginger hair and was wearing a blue polo shirt, blue jeans and white trainers when he was last seen.

Anyone with any information should call Durham Police on 101.