Man 'may have drowned' on stag night

Ian Gilbert organised the trip to Ostend in Belgium

The search for a 25-year-old man who disappeared during a stag night trip to Belgium has been resumed.

It is feared best man Ian Gilbert, from East Sussex, may have drowned after going missing as the 27-strong group headed back to a hotel in Ostend.

Mr Gilbert, an advertising rep from Crowborough, helped organise the night out for groom Mark Rosier last Friday.

Friends, who have put up a £5,000 reward for information, say his disappearance is completely out of character.

The Belgian police are taking the search very seriously indeed

Sussex Police spokesman

On Monday Mr Gilbert's wife Charlotte, was distraught amid the fears he could have disappeared into the sea.

Sussex Police are liaising with Belgian detectives in a bid to trace Mr Gilbert, known as Golly, who has two stepchildren with his 34-year-old wife.

Close friend Paul Gray, from Crowborough, returned on Sunday from the stag night, and said everyone was concerned.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Gilbert's family, he said: "It is very unlike Golly to go off without letting anyone know where he was.

"His wife, who he only married a year ago, is distraught. We are all devastated. He is a real family man. He and Charlotte are so happy together."

Photograph distributed

Two members of the stag party, all of whom are members of Crowborough Rugby Club, stayed behind in Ostend to help police in the search.

The pair, one of whom is a police officer, has distributed dozens of posters carrying Mr Gilbert's photograph.

The group visited several bars in Ostend to celebrate 27-year-old Mr Rosier's wedding in two weeks' time.

In the early hours of Saturday, all but two of the group made their way back to their hotel, taking in the seafront on the way.

According to his friends, Mr Gilbert was among the party, but disappeared without anyone noticing.

Mr Gilbert was first noticed missing later on Saturday morning.

'Not suspicious'

Mr Gray said: "We have been searching along with police in Belgium.

"We have visited all the local hospitals and we have retraced out steps from the walk that night, but so far we have found nothing."

Sussex Police say as yet there is no evidence that Mr Gilbert's disappearance is suspicious.

A spokesman said: "The Belgian police are taking the search very seriously indeed.

"We are liaising with Belgian police and so is the National Missing Persons Register."

Mr Gilbert has blond hair and blue eyes and was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt when he went missing.