Police have become increasingly concerned for the safety of Alistair McIlroy.

Northern Ireland weather: Met Office say dry and cloudy day with fog patches la...

The Community Rescue Service are among those searching areas in a bid to find missing Alistair McIlroy

Earlier a post on Police Mid & East Antrim said: “Police in Ballymena are growing increasingly concerned for the wellbeing of missing person, 63-year-old Alastair McIlroy.

"Alastair was last seen in the Leighinmohr Avenue area of the town on Saturday evening, 7th December.

"He is described as 6ft 3ins tall with short grey hair and has a distinctive ear piercing on his left ear.

"He was last seen wearing a red shirt with dark coloured trousers.

"If you have any information in relation to Alastair's whereabouts or you believe you may have seen him, please contact police on 101, quoting serial 3 10/12/24.”

Another post from Karen Ann also appeals for help in locating her uncle.

‘Has anyone seen my uncle Alastair Mcilroy about – could u give me a wee shout’, she said on social media.

She adds that he was ‘last seen on Saturday at his Christmas work night party’.

She adds: “Police are aware this is very out of character”.

A spokesman from the Community Research Service said: “We have teams out there at the minute in Ballymena.

"Searches have been ongoing since we were called to help find Alastair. They were ongoing all day yesterday and until late last night and we were back out first thing this morning again.

"We are searching the area where he was last seen – and all high risk areas based on the fact that we have limited information on where he was last seen which the PSNI have already published.

“The search is based around high risk areas where the chap might have tripped and fallen – and also based on conversations between our search managers and police, where they come up with, how they carry out further investigations and what see CCTV there is available.

"The search started in the Leighinmohr Avenue area but we are also concentrating on different areas now.”

The spokesman added: “We don’t know where he went after he was last seen – on this occasion we don’t have much information or CCTV to go on.

“It is a very big area at the edge of Ballymena where there are estates and other buildings.

"I would classify it as semi-rural with many fields and housing estates and open ground as well to look at.”

He added that the search is also “based on what we know about the character of the person missing, their psychology and fitness”.

"We are always looking from the position of the person – so we will be hopefully bringing them home alive.

"We don’t assume different until we get an indication of anything different.

"Our own search managers are nationally trained and police also have their own search experts there.

"We come up with a strategy to look at the different areas, possibilities and scenarios that might have occurred – then methodically we work our way through those.

"The family and friends (of the missing person) are stressed enough.

"Searchers have received a lot of specialist training so we do that methodically – that is the only way we can do, because we are representing the family and the missing person.

"My heart goes out to the families without a doubt,” he added.

"I have been doing this since 2010 and my heart goes out to the families every time.

"It really doesn’t matter when it is or where it is or who it is because a families worry is the same

"We aim to find the people alive and we wouldn’t be doing it otherwise.

"As it says it in the name – Community Research Service – we do it for the community and represent the community.

"We are one of the biggest cross- community groups in Northern Ireland, we are very popular and always welcomed.

“At the weekend during that storm our people were out there searching – weather does not stop us – we are out to find people. That is what we volunteer to do.”