A pensioner missing for six weeks disappeared after saying he was “popping out for a while” as he left his home without his phone or wallet.

The family of Ian Sharp have not seen the former builder since Friday, July 24, when it is believed he walked out of the property in Gordon Road, Canterbury , with his camping gear and metal detector.

Devastated son Andrew reported his dad missing to police the following day after he failed to return to his house in Wincheap.

He says none of Ian’s loved ones have heard from him since and that concerns for the 67-year-old are growing as he is usually “a creature of habit”.

“It’s like he walked out the front door and the pavement swallowed him up,” Andrew said.

“My brother saw him when he left the house that morning. He poked his head round the door and said, ‘I’m going to pop out for a while. I might be a while’.

“He gave no indication where he might go. He’s got two metal detectors and one of them’s missing and his camping gear’s missing.

“This is completely out of character. He’s a creature of habit and his movements are so typical; you know what he’s going to do and where he’s going to.”

Andrew says his father would usually while away the time at The Salvation Army in White Horse Lane or at the library at the Beaney Museum.

Ian is described as being of medium build, with grey hair, a goatee beard and green eyes.

He was reported to be wearing a long-sleeved, green and black camouflage shirt with a German flag on the shoulder before he went missing.

“I’m really worried because it’s not like him – he’s never away from his bed for a night,” he added.

“He left with what he was wearing and possibly the bag of camping stuff. He hasn’t got a mobile phone with him and he hasn’t got his bank cards with him either.

“All I want to know is he’s safe. I’m ringing the police every day and they’re telling me there’s nothing they can tell me.”

A police spokesman says officers have been carrying out inquiries since the dad-of-two was reported missing and insists that the family have been kept updated when appropriate.

Andrew believes his father is not dead, despite being missing for several weeks, and insists Ian "is not the type to harm himself".

“He’s a happy sort of person who’d make the best of a bad situation," the 35-year-old continued.

“My father’s very resilient, doesn’t drink or do drugs and he’s sound of mind.

"I like to think he's okay and he's gone off grid for some reason."

Police are appealing for anyone with information about Ian’s whereabouts to them on 101, quoting the reference number 25-1407.

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