A SEARCH is continuing in northern Spain to try to find a missing mountaineer from Kent who failed to return from a solo climb last Friday.

Bill Sutherland, 50, from Tonbridge, has not been seen since. His brother, David, has flown out to Spain to join rescue workers now combing the Picos de Europa mountains in a bid to locate him.

Mr Sutherland is an information technology worker and has been described by his brother as "an expert climber" with considerable experience of the mountains.

Bad weather has been hampering the search for Mr Sutherland, being conducted by a mountain rescue team supported by firefighters and civilian volunteers.

It was due to a sudden change in the weather on Friday that fears for Mr Sutherland's safety arose.

Although travelling with more than 30 members of the Gwydyr Mountain Club, which he joined while living in the Wirral, Liverpool, Mr Sutherland had set out to climb alone.

Colleagues are concerned that he may have lost his footing and fallen, but rescuers are determined to continue their search for several more days.

The Picos de Europa mountains rise to heights of more than 2,600 metres and are located to the west of Bilbao near Spain's northern coast.