Police were today searching for a British pensioner who has been missing for three days in a forest in Thailand.

Leonard Barry Weller, 72, was last seen by his Thai wife at home on September 1 before heading out on his motorcycle in Khon Kaen province, in the northeast of the country.

His wife Tawee Leonard worried that something might have happened to the retired ex-pat after he failed to return the next day without communicating.

There was also a storm with heavy rain, raising fears that Leonard, who is originally from Hastings in East Sussex, might have become lost in the deluge.

The Thai woman then reported the incident to the authorities who started a search and rescue operation on September 2 afternoon at the Nong Saeng forest area where Leonard’s two-wheeler was found abandoned.

Speaking today, resscue worker Nam Thongkham said: ‘We have been searching for the missing British man for two days now but there are still no signs of him.

‘We had planned to use thermal drones which will be flown above the dense forest to locate him but due to the extensive rainfall, we will have to wait for more. time’

Leonard’s Thai wife, several relatives, local officials and concerned villagers are helping with the ongoing search but without success.

A missing person centre had been set up at the village community hall which the search team used as the main command point for ordering daily searches. The centre has staff on standby 24 hours every day.