A HUGE search for a missing Middlesbrough man on the North York Moors in the early hours of Saturday ended with success.

Mountain rescue volunteers from all over the North-East searched for the unnamed man on the moors above Great Broughton.

The incident started at 1am on Saturday morning when North Yorkshire Police asked for Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team volunteers to help them find the missing 39-year-old.

The man had earlier been reported missing by his family and the police were concerned for his safety having located his car near the Clay Bank car park on the Stokesley and Helmsley road.

A spokesman for Cleveland Mountain Rescue said: "Twenty volunteers from the rescue team along with a mountain rescue search dog responded to the callout and were deployed in four search parties to search the likely moorland tracks and paths that the missing man might be on.

"The teams searched in subzero temperatures for over five hours.

"At daybreak the search was escalated with addition personnel from our neighbouring teams joining the incident as Cleveland Team members stood down to rest with the intention of rejoining the search during the afternoon.

"Four additional search dogs were also drafted into the search.

"The incident was concluded when a walker discovered the missing man alive, but in need of medical treatment on the moor tops three kilometres from where he left his car."

He was treated at the scene by mountain rescue team members before being flown, by Yorkshire Air Ambulance, to James Cook Hospital for treatment.

The search had lasted just over ten hours and involved 70 mountain rescue volunteers from six mountain rescue teams and five mountain rescue search dogs as well as personnel from North Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance.

Cleveland Team spokesman, Pete Mounsey added: "A long night's work, but we are pleased that the missing man was found alive after being out all night in very cold conditions."