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A man missing for 19 days has reportedly been spotted close to allotments.
Talented Dan Venes, from Canterbury, was last seen at about 6pm on August 14 in the College Road area of Margate.
A police helicopter was launched over Reculver, near Herne Bay, to scour the seafront following a possible sighting of the 31-year-old last Tuesday.
And now officers have confirmed that they are looking into reports Dan was spotted in an alleyway in Eddington Lane in the coastal town at about 3pm on Monday.
A spokesman said: "Officers are aware of that report and are looking into it as part of their inquiries."
A man thought to be Dan was said to have been sitting in the alley between two allotment gates stroking a cat.
He was asked by an allotment owner - who later posted about the sighting on Facebook - if he was OK.
The post added: "I let him be. I didn't know he was missing until I saw the Facebook page."
Pals believe the artist and musician “is out there somewhere” and insist they “won’t give up” on him.
Dan's dad, Jason Joiner, last week told KentOnline that his son had been picked up at Sturry railway station by police following concerns for his welfare.
He was taken to the QEQM hospital in Margate, but is believed to have left soon after.
Dan was captured on CCTV in Margate a short while later, but there have been no confirmed sightings of him since.
A police helicopter helped search over Boughton-under-Blean on August 17 after someone reported seeing him in the area.
But with the guitarist and songwriter still missing, a "Help find Dan Venes" Facebook page has been set up to aid the search.
A post on the page says: “Can everyone joining please invite as many people as they can to the page - near, far or wide.
“He is out there somewhere. We won’t give up on you, Dan, so please don’t give up on yourself.”
Another post urges people to check “all sheds, alleyways and anywhere people may think he could be”.
“Let’s bring Dan home,” it adds.
Dan was born in London and has lived in locations including Italy and Herne Bay.
Now based in Canterbury, he has thousands of followers on Facebook pages that exhibit his work.
Dan is 5ft 9ins tall, with a slim build and short, dark hair.
He also has a short beard and was last seen wearing a red and black checked shirt with black jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling 101 and quoting reference number 14-1230.
Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury
