UK UK - Colin Morton, 52, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, 24 Dec 2012

Fears for financial manager missing since Christmas Eve after he was sacked from his job for paperwork blunder (Daily Mail)

Fears are growing for the welfare of a man who went missing on Christmas Eve, days after he was sacked from his job.

Colin Morton, 52, failed to return to his home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, after a doctor's appointment on Monday morning.

Police today said they were hoping to speak to a man who was seen walking into the sea at 10am that day.

His partner of 34 years Liz Callighan, has told how Mr Morton was left devastated after losing the career he loved at a building society just five days before his disappearance.
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Miss Callighan, 52, said: 'Up until five weeks ago Colin was a very chatty, sociable, friendly person. He would talk to anybody.

'But when he was dismissed I saw a huge change in him. He was absolutely devastated. His career was a huge part of his life.'
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Click to expand...

much more, with pictures, at the link above

"Police today said they were hoping to speak to a man who was seen walking into the sea at 10am that day."

That certainly doesn't sound very good. The water there would be frigid this time of year. If someone saw him walking into the ocean, I wonder why they didn't try to stop him or at least talk to him.

From the article: "Superintendent Peter Farrell said: 'We need to establish whether this was someone walking into the sea for a dip so we can eliminate this possible sighting from our enquiries."

Current temperature of Whitley Bay is approximately 7C or 44F. Seems unlikely anyone would be taking "a dip" in that water.

Yes, when I came to the "walking into the sea" paragraph in the Mail article, that didn't sound good.

Hoping he walked into the sea and then walked right back out. Doubting it, but maybe.

Fears grow for missing Whitley Bay man Colin Morton

IT has been a week since loved ones of Colin Morton last saw him before he vanished on Christmas Eve.

As the search operation continues today, police and family have appealed for anyone who may have seen the 52-year-old or anyone with information to come forward.

Search goes on for missing Whitley Bay man

POLICE searching for missing man Colin Morton believe he may have been in Cullercoats on the day he disappeared.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/comm...n-for-missing-whitley-bay-man-72703-32582668/

24 JAN 2013
Partner of missing Whitley Bay man tells of agony





It is now exactly one month since the 52-year-old vanished after leaving his Whitley Bay home to attend a doctor’s appointment on Christmas Eve.

And police have since said they believe Colin, who became depressed after he was dismissed from his building society job, may have harmed himself.
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Colin had been an outgoing sociable man until he lost the job he loved.

He had worked for the Newcastle Building Society for more than 10 years, and during his successful career rose through the ranks to the position of senior financial manager at the company’s Whitley Bay branch.

But on November 19, he was suspended from work when it emerged he had signed a form relating to some work a colleague had undertaken, not himself.

And following a disciplinary hearing a month later, Colin was sacked.

After his dismissal, his personality changed completely, Liz said. “He was absolutely devastated. His career was a huge part of his life,” she explained. “He just felt like he had lost everything he had worked for.”

Liz became extremely worried about Colin’s state of mind and persuaded him to see a doctor.
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CCTV at Whitley Bay Metro Station captured images of Colin walking across the footbridge as he headed into the town centre.

Colin called Liz soon after and told her he was on the cliffs and wanted to end his life.

And a member of the public later told police they had seen a man walking into the sea off Whitley Bay beach.

Partner of missing Whitley Bay man tells of agony