Search parties held for 'happy-go-lucky' North Shields binman missing for five days

The family of a binman who has been missing for five days have been organising search parties in a desperate attempt to find him.

Anthony Lauder was last seen on Friday afternoon (19 August) when work colleagues dropped him off near his North Shields home after their shifts finished. No one has heard from him since.

Mr Lauder's family reported him missing to police on Monday and have been organising search parties around the local area in a bid to find him.

Now his cousin has made a heartfelt plea to him to get in touch.

Samantha Cramman, 32, said: "Please just contact us and let us know you are safe, we just need to know.

"Just send us some sort of signal. Everyone loves and misses you."

'Totally out of character'

Mr Lauder, who is in his 30s, works as a recycling binman and also helps out at his local pub, The Nautilus, on North Shields' Verne Road.

He was due to be working behind the bar on Saturday night, but did not turn up.

His family said the disappearance was totally out of character.

"He's pretty much a happy-go-lucky young lad," said Ms Cramman.

"He works for the local council as a recycling bin man. He's well-known, he's a people person, he helps out at his local pub.

"Everyone knows him. He's got a lot of friends, and we are a very close family.

"This is totally out of character. We haven't got any idea why he's gone. It's just totally not Anthony to do this. We just want him home."

Since Mr Lauder vanished, his friends and family have come together to look for him.

They have travelled to Throckley, Jesmond and Wallsend after being told of possible sightings, but all leads have proved fruitless.

"What we do know is he got up on Friday morning and messaged his sister at 9.30am and that was the last time we heard from him," Ms Cramman continued.

"He had done his shift at work and got dropped off at The Quadrant in North Shields at about 2pm, but he hasn't been seen or heard from since.

"He was meant to help out in the pub on the Saturday, but he didn't turn in, but they just thought he was having a drink. His phone has been switched off or it could have run out of battery.

"We just don't know where to start, we are going round in circles."

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Anthony was reported missing on Monday evening to officers.

“His family have not heard from the 35-year-old since Friday (August 19) and this is out of character for him.

“Enquiries are ongoing to locate him and we are asking anybody who thinks they have seen him, or may have information to help find him, to come forward.

“Anthony, or anyone who knows where he is, is asked to contact us on 101 or via our website’s ‘Tell us Something’ section, quoting log NP-20220821-1081.”

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