Fears grow for missing doctor

Dr Stevens works at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

Police are searching for a doctor who vanished from his hospital office.

Worried staff realised Dr Richard Stevens had gone missing from Pendlebury Children's Hospital in Salford on Monday.

He had left his jacket and briefcase in his office at the hospital, where he worked as a consultant haematologist, and his car was left in the car park.

His family have issued a statement through the hospital, pleading with him to get in touch.

"All the family are worried," the statement said.

"Please get in touch and let us know you are OK.

"We just need to hear you are all right"

Dr Stevens is married with three children.

Distinguished career

Dr Stevens is white, 5ft 11ins, of medium build and wears glasses.

When he was last seen, after he arrived at the hospital at 0710 BST, he was wearing a shirt and tie and dark trousers.

Dr Stevens, who qualified in Birmingham 30 years ago, has worked in Manchester for most of his career.

He previously worked at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.

While at the MRI in 1990 he was involved in a prestigious UK hospital trial of a new drug - G-CSF - in children with the commonest type of childhood leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Detectives are studying CCTV footage at the hospital to see if they can track his movements.

The hospital has said it is working to ensure none of Dr Steven's patients will miss out on treatment.

Police are appealing for Dr Stevens to contact them or anyone with information about his whereabouts to get in touch.