THE family of a missing man have made a heartfelt plea for him to come home.

Nicholas Stephen Crocker, 55, was last seen early on Wednesday morning and was reported missing at 9am the same morning.

Police have spent the last two days conducted a large-scale search at Hardy’s Monument where Mr Crocker owned land and spent much of his free-time.

He is a licensed firearms holder and it was initially reported he had a pistol but police now say it is believed that he may have a gun which is used to destroy animals in his possession.

Mr Crocker’s family said he had been a gamekeeper for the last 30 years and spent his free-time out walking the Dorset countryside and hunting. His step-daughter Kate Wills said he was a kind, gentle family man, who would never hurt anyone.

She said: “He’s not dangerous, he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

She added: “He’s not walking round with a big gun. He wouldn’t hurt anybody. He’s not a risk to anybody. The only person at risk is himself.”

Kate said Mr Crocker was an expert countryman and would be able to survive well in the outdoors.

She added that Mr Crocker never went to see a doctor but in the last couple of weeks he had been complaining of various ailments.

She said: “Recently he’s said his eyesight wasn’t as good as it used to be. With 30 years of being a gamekeeper his hearing is not what it used to be.

“His passion is going out into the countryside shooting.”

She added: “He hasn’t been eating and that’s not like him.

“In the last couple of weeks he’s been complaining of aches and pains in his legs.”

She wanted to give the message to her step-father to come home. She said: “Don’t panic and don’t worry, come home. Everything will be okay.”

More than 40 police officers and volunteers from Dorset Search and Rescue service scoured woodland to the north of Hardy’s Monument yesterday. Five teams worked together to move through woodland, bracken and open hillside in the search that lasted nine hours.

The teams we stood down at 7pm.

Detective Sergeant Steve Broadhurst said that the investigation would continue but they would not be returning to search at Hardy’s Monument for a third day.

He said: “We have not found Mr Crocker.

“Our investigations are on-going and we will be investigating several areas in Chickerell and Weymouth.

“There will be no physical search after today.”

Officers also carried out searches at stables and land at School Hill in Chickerell, around Chafey’s Lake and Two Mile Coppice yesterday afternoon until 7pm.