Manhunt After Christmas Cash Goes Missing

British police are hunting for a pub landlord after £30,000 disappeared from a Christmas fund.

Malcolm Levesconte, 59, was last seen on Sunday at the Royal Oak pub in Shrewton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire Police said.

Later that evening, he boarded a ferry at Portsmouth to St Malo in France.

"At this stage, officers are treating this as a criminal investigation but also as a missing person inquiry," said a Wiltshire Police spokesman.

Mr Levesconte, who runs the pub, collected the cash for a Christmas thrift fund.

The spokesman said: "Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Mr Levesconte is asked to contact Salisbury CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously."

The spokesman added: "Anybody concerned about money they have paid into the thrift club should contact the Royal Oak pub where their details will be recorded and passed to the police."