Concerns are growing for a policeman who is still missing five days after he disappeared after an on-duty appointment at a luxury hotel.

It's emerged PC Gordon Semple, 59, from Greenhithe, had a noon meeting at the five-star Shangri La hotel at The Shard in London on Friday.

The officer, who works in the anti-social behaviour team at Westminster City Council, was then seen at 3pm on nearby Southwark Street.

But he failed to return home from work that evening and was reported missing by his "extremely concerned" partner.

His niece Kerry Nicholas, a 28-year-old estate agent in Inverness, Scotland, said the family have no idea why he has gone missing.

She said: "We are very concerned, it's very out-of-character for Gordon not to get in touch with anybody.

"He had been at a meeting in the Shangri La. He's very outgoing, sociable and friendly. He's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.

"Nothing like this has happened before. There's absolutely no reason for him to go missing" - Gordon Semple's niece Kerry Nicholas

"Nothing like this has happened before. There's absolutely no reason for him to go missing.

"At the moment we are just concerned about his well-being."

PC Semple was in plain-clothes, wearing brown shoes, dark trousers and a lilac shirt at the time of his disappearance.

He is 5ft 10in, white with medium build and shaved head.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "PC Gordon Semple was on duty on Friday 1st April.

"His role is a specialist one that routinely involves work with external partners and agencies and it is not uncommon for much of his time to be spent away from the office working in plain clothes.

"We are in the process of tracking his movements throughout the day to determine why he may have gone missing and this includes liaising with persons who spoke to and met with him during his tour of duty.

"He is a serving police constable based on Westminster Borough, working in the anti-social behaviour team based within Westminster City Council.

"Gordon's disappearance is not believed to be linked with his employment."

Relatives have set up a Facebook page called Gordon Semple, 59 missing. Last seen on 1 April.