A MISSING man was found by police after they retraced pen imprints on a Christmas card revealing his whereabouts.

Police thought they had exhausted all options when concerns were raised for a missing man from Crook last month.

Extensive enquiries suggested the 67-year-old may have been heading to the Northumberland area but with no mobile phone or location, officers had hit a wall.

Just as hopes to find the man were starting to fade, police officers Bruno Lee and Martin Coates, decided to recheck the man’s mail to make sure nothing had been missed.

Officer Coates found a Christmas card and on holding it up to the light, saw a shimmer of what appeared to be the feint imprint of a word and a phone number.

It appeared someone had been resting on the card while writing a note and had left an indent on the card beneath.

After closer inspection, the officers were able to make out the phone number in the Alnwick area.

The officers – from Bishop Auckland’s D Relief team – carried out further checks to find an address, which ultimately led them to the missing man, who confirmed he was safe and well and staying with friends.

Bishop Auckland Response Inspector, David Littlefair, praised the PCs’ instincts.

He said: “When someone is reported missing it is a worrying time for family and friends and officers will do everything they can to reunite people as quickly as possible.

“Because of the officers’ thoroughness, the missing person was quickly spoken to who confirmed he was safe and well, resulting in a positive outcome and bringing the long investigation to a successful close.

“It’s the kind of thing you see in the movies but it really does show how dedicated our officers are and sometimes you just have to follow your gut instincts – well done Bruno and Martin!”