Darren Wayne Edwards – aged 33 – left an address on Gloucester Avenue in Dawley at just after 1am this morning and was then seen around 45 minutes later on the footpath that leads from Bishopdale in Brookside to Aqueduct.

However, he has not been seen since being spotted on that footpath at just before 2am.

Since last being seen this morning, Mr Edwards has had no confirmed contact with anyone and police are becoming increasingly concerned about his welfare.

A police spokesman said: “We are very concerned about Mr Edwards and would like to find him as soon as we can.

“Concerns have been expressed about his mental state when he was last seen and therefore we believe he may well be vulnerable.

“Mr Edwards – who is most familiar with the Malinslee and Dawley areas – is described as being white with a tanned complexion, around 5ft 10inches tall and as having a slim build.

He is also described as having short dark hair and when he was last seen he was wearing a black fury hat with ear flaps, a light grey hooded top under a dark jacket, light grey tracksuit bottoms – with the branding in dark grey lettering around the thigh area – and black Nike 110 trainers.

“Anyone who knows where Mr Edwards is, or who believes they may have seen him since he went missing early this morning, is asked to contact West Mercia Police as soon as possible on 101 or 0300 333 3000.”