Helicopter, coastguard and police were called in to search for a missing man named Leslie until he was discovered having a quiet bevvie in a Welsh boozer
A massive land and sea search for a missing man ended when he was spotted having a quiet pint in a Wetherspoon’s pub. A helicopter, coastguard and police were in the hunt for the bearded man reported missing by his worried family.
But a bar worker in a Weatherspoons saw his picture on a police plea — and recognised him sitting in the corner of the pub enjoying a beer. Bar worker Mark Bohana spotted the man called Leslie at the Tafarn y Porth — Welsh for Gate Tavern — in Caernarfon, North Wales, as the search was going on.
Duty manager Stephanie Owen said he was recognised by a colleague who had just finished his shift. She said: “He was flicking through his phone and saw the police appeal.
“He was sitting near a man who looked like the photo. He showed me but I couldn’t be certain.
“Mark was reluctant to approach him without knowing for sure, so he waited until he came back to the bar. He approached the man and said he ought to contact his family to let them know he was OK. The man didn’t seem too worried.”
Mark alerted the police informing them that Leslie was out for a pint. Officers arrived within 10-15 minutes to spot him in the beer garden.
“As he was safe and well, they let him go on his way,” said Stephanie. The multi-agency hunt was launched with the public appeal for the man in his 50s was reported missing from the Pwllheli area.
Officers searched beaches and the coastline around the Llwn Peninsula town. Police said Leslie is distinguished by his large white beard. Police said he was wearing glasses and possibly a camouflage jacket.
A Coastguard helicopter from MoD St Athan near Cardiff Airport spent nearly an hour and a half in the air searching for Leslie. A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: “Thank you for your help, this gentleman has been found safe and well.”
In a light-hearted comment about the festive season search, one local resident joked: “You don’t see many men with big white beards around this time of year, to be fair. Glad he’s been found.”
Meanwhile a second commenter added: “Poor bloke only nipped out for a pint, this is what my Mrs would do if I was out for more than 30 minutes. She’d have my face on a pint of milk before midnight.”
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