A POSTER campaign to trace a missing man last seen at a Southampton casino nearly four years ago has been launched at coach stations across the country.

Bakery worker Paul Balmforth, 30, pictured, left the Grosvenor Casino on February 2000 and told doorstaff he intended to jog the eight miles home to Dibden Purlieu but never made it there.

Now posters bearing his face are being putting up at travel stations as part of National Express' support of the National Missing Persons Helpline charity.

Kathy Coles, manager of Southampton Travel Shop said: "National Express is committed to supporting National Missing Persons Helpline and the invaluable work it does. Hundreds of people pass through coach stations and travel shops every day. So by displaying posters of missing persons, such as Paul, we can hopefully jog someone's memory and encourage people to come forward with information."

Theories about Paul's disappearance include that he attempted swimming across Southampton Water and had been swept away by strong currents.

He had made the treacherous trip once before as a dare and had got as far as a Ministry of Defence ship at Marchwood military port.