Dogs called in as volunteer hunt for missing man is scaled down
SEARCH dogs are still being used in a bid to trace a missing man in the Highlands.
Police have scaled back volunteer searches for Lachlan Simpson, a chef from Embo, near Dornoch, who has not been seen since shortly after he left a dance in the town at 1.30am on July 26.
But officers say that as the search for the 22-year-old continues they will continue to utilise “specialist search resources” over the next few days, including dog search teams.
Hundreds of volunteers have joined police teams, the coastguard and an RAF mountain rescue.
Mr Simpson was last seen after the dance at the Sutherland Show in Dornoch in the early hours of Sunday.
Chief Inspector Iain MacLelland said: “I would once again take this opportunity to thank the local community and members of the public for their continued support and assistance.
“Although no further volunteer searches are planned at this time, police enquiries and searches remain ongoing. Today we once again have specialist search officers and the Police Scotland dog unit searching the area. The dogs are highly-trained and to ensure their focus is fully on tracing Lachlan, we would ask members of the public to refrain from approaching them whilst they are actively searching.”
Chief Inspector Colin Gough has previously said Mr Simpson had left the village to go down to the showground on Dornoch Links and was last seen chatting to friends.
Dozens of volunteers combed outlying parts of Dornoch and an area known locally as The Links over the weekend. Mr Simpson is six feet tall, of slim and medium build with short fair hair. He was wearing a green-andwhite top.
Police Scotland is urging members of the public who have any information, “no matter how small it may seem”, to get in touch with them on 101.