A SOUTHAMPTON climber missing since Tuesday is unlikely to be found alive, his girlfriend has said.

Liam Day, 26, disappeared on a climbing trip to Dorset earlier this week.

Rescue teams scoured land, air and sea on Wednesday with friends joining officials on a smaller search yesterday.

Posting on Facebook, girlfriend Emily Brown said: "Thanks for all your kind words and for sharing the information about Liam.

"It seems likely now that he will not return."

Liam, a keen musician and active member of Southampton University Mountaineering Club (SUMC), may have been scaling a cliff unsupported on his trip to the Jurassic Coast, according to police.

The investigation continued last night around Durlston Country Park, where Liam's car was found. Climbing equipment was found west of Anvil Point on Wednesday.

SUMC president Martin Wearn said several friends had travelled to Dorset to look for Liam.

He said: "Liam is still an active member of our club and as such many of us knew him well.

"If there is anything that can be done to help track him down I'm sure myself and other people in the club would be willing."

Girlfriend Emily's appeals on social media had been shared more than 400 times by last night.

She yesterday posted a video of Liam playing an acoustic guitar cover of Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World with the caption "My guy."

Hundreds of friends offered their condolences to Ms Brown and the Day family.

Police said enquiries were ongoing and have appealed to anyone who saw a man climbing the cliffs in the area to contact them.

Two helicopters, two RNLI lifeboats and two coastguard rescue teams from Swanage and St Albans all joined the search with Dorset's police and rescue service.

Chief inspector Bob Acaster, of Dorset Police, said: “The man told his partner he was going climbing for the day but he failed to return home as normal.

"Every indication is that he did indeed go climbing on his own and we are very concerned that he may have come to some harm.

“It is possible that he may have gone deep water climbing which typically involves using a rope to lower down the cliff and then climbing back up unsupported."

Anyone with information is urged to call Dorset Police on 101 quoting incident number 15:04.