DIVERS searched a lake on the outskirts of Newport today as part of ongoing attempts to find a man missing from his home in the city since Thursday night.

Gwent Police and experts from Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) were searching a lake off Queen's Way, behind the Cineworld complex, following a day on which the family and friends of Dr Dave Hampton had focused their search on the surrounding area of industrial units and countryside.

Dr Hampton, 64, was last seen by partner Sara Webb, 40, at about 11pm on Thursday when he left their Dolphin Street, Pill, home saying he needed some fresh air and was going to see if Asda was open.

He did not return and a subsequent search and appeal for information has so far failed to locate him, though the last two confirmed sightings put him in the area of Meadows Road, near Queensway Meadows and Newport industrial estates, early on Friday morning.

Miss Webb said family and friends had been searching the area all day yesterday, and had put up and given out posters.

"CCTV shows him having gone down Charles Street, John Frost Square, then across the footbridge, but we don't know how he got down here from there," said Miss Webb.

"He was seen at the travellers' site (on Tatton Road) at 1.30am on Friday and they told us he was very disorientated and saying he wanted to go to Asda.

"They offered him a cup of tea and he said no, he was fine and walked off, and they saw him trying to get through a hole in the hedge.

"Then he was seen by security guards at an industrial building after he tried to get past the barrier. That was about 2am on Friday."

Dr Hampton, a biochemist at the Royal Gwent Hospital pathology laboratory, had attended a concert in Carmarthen last Thursday evening, where his son Daniel was performing, but he and Miss Webb left after the first half as he felt unwell.

She described him as having a temperature, and feeling tired and confused.

Miss Webb, who went to Asda shortly after he left to try to find him, but without success, rang Dr Hampton's mobile phone. It rang but was not answered.

His family is running an appeal on Facebook and Twitter, to try to find him.

Dr Hampton is described as being white, around 5ft 8ins tall, of stocky build, and with grey, short, shaved hair.

He sometimes wears spectacles, and was last known to be wearing a navy jumper, light blue shirt, grey jeans and black shoes.

Anyone who may have seen him is asked to contact 101.