Friends hunt for missing hiker

Jeffery Moore (centre) was reported missing by his partner last week

The friends of a British man who disappeared while hiking in Austria are travelling to the country to search for him themselves.

Jeffery Moore, 37, from Fareham, Hampshire, has not been found since setting off for the mountain resort of Heiligenblut early on Monday, 25 August.

He was reported missing that night by his partner and has not been seen since.

Now, eight of his friends - all hikers themselves - are to leaflet the towns and villages in the area in an attempt to trace him.

They believe he could still be alive despite an unsuccessful three-day search by the Austrian Federal Police.

They will also be targeting hospitals in case Mr Moore turns up injured.

But local officer Lieutenant Johann Schunn has said he believes Mr Moore did not have sufficient equipment or experience for alpine climbing.

Heiligenblut is the closest town to the highest mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner peak, and is used as a starting point for hikes.