The family of a missing Dreghorn man have said they “fear the worst” following his disappearance almost two weeks ago.

John Walsh disappeared on November 14 after calling his brother Jason from Dreghorn Cros s in a “confused and stressed” state.

Now Jason says, 13 days on, he and wife Julie fear 47-year-old John may have come to some harm.

Speaking exclusively to the Times he said: “At first I thought he might be on a bender, but it’s been too long.

“I have to say we are fearing the worst, that he has done something to himself or come to harm in some way. The last time I spoke to him he was very stressed and anxious.

“He was confused and stressed. He wasn’t clear on what was real and what was not real.”

Jason, 37, says his older brother was a qualified mental health nurse before he began battling his own mental health and alcohol addiction problems around 10 years ago.

John eventually lost his job and his home and never really put down roots anywhere, but more recently had been doing better since getting his own flat in Dreghorn.

Jason said: “I would say there’s nowhere that John would call his home town. “When he is at his best John is outgoing and friendly. Sometimes he can be the loudest person in the room and the person who was always up for having a laugh and a joke.”

Jason is urging his brother to get in touch and let the family know he is ok, adding: “I just want him to get in contact and let us know he is safe. “We just want him to know his family support him in any decision he wants to make about his life, even if we don’t always agree with them.”

John Walsh is described as white, 5ft 4 inches in height and of medium to stocky build with short gr ey hair and fac ial stubble. He is known to frequent the Dreghorn and Saltcoats areas and officers have been carrying out enquiries and searches to trace him.

Anyone with information on John’s whereabouts is asked to contact Irvine Police Office through 101 quoting reference number 1689 of 23rd November 2018.