A MIDDLE-aged man who went missing for almost 24 hours was found after a major search involving police, rescue volunteers and lifeboat crews.

Police in County Durham put out an appeal after Keith Michael Hope, 54, of Glebe Terrace, Easington Colliery, failed to return home from a walk on Saturday.

Officers aided by Police Community Support Officers and members of the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team and members of other teams began scouring the East Durham countryside.

And lifeboat crews from Sunderland and Hartlepool joined the hunt for Mr Hope by searching the six-mile stretch of coastline between Seaham and Horden. Mr Hope was found on Sunday morning and taken to the University of Hartlepool Hospital.

He had left his home in Glebe Terrace, Easington Colliery, at about 1.30pm on Saturday to go for a walk, but when he did not return that night his wife called the police.

Acting Inspector Jim Peel, of Durham Constabulary, said Mr Hope often went for walks but it was "very out of character'' for him not to return home and that there was concern for his well-being.

A police spokeswoman said yesterday he was found at Horden and taken to hospital. "We have no further details regarding his condition.''

Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team spokesman Steve Owers said: "The Teesdale and Weardale team and the police searched the area around Easington Colliery overnight in driving rain.

"When the man had not been found by first light mountain rescue teams from Cleveland, Northumberland and Swaledale were called in to assist. More than 50 mountain rescue volunteers, with five mountain rescue search dogs with police support, expanded the search area at first light.

"At around 11.30am the police helicopter picked up a heat source and within a few minutes a mountain rescue team located the missing man near a stream to the south of Easington Colliery.''

Team leader Dave Bartles Smith said: " This is the second major search we have been involved in this week.

"On both occasions the mountain rescue community came together to deliver a successful outcome. It is gratifying to know that volunteers will freely give up their time and travel many miles out of their own area in order to search for missing people."

Duncan Gomes, Helmsman on Sunderland Lifeboat, said three lifeboats joined in the search for about 90 minutes.

"After carrying out a detailed search of the search area, it was decided to scale down both the water and land based coastal search leaving the police and mountain rescue teams to