TONIGHT marks a week since our friend and colleague Ben Caplan went missing.

The help and support we have received from our readers in the last few days has been nothing short of astonishing.

Tens of thousands of people have read our reports about Ben's disappearance in print and online. Thousands more have shared updates across the internet and social media.

The editor of this newspaper has made appeals on local radio after stations offered airtime, and hundreds of posters are being displayed in shops, pubs, offices and on buses.

We could not have asked for more from you.

Sadly, there is still no positive news about Ben.

All possible sightings since he vanished last Saturday night remain unconfirmed. Searches of the river in Caerleon, near where he was last seen, continue.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with Ben's wife Danielle and the children.

If you were out in Caerleon last Saturday night, please think long and hard about whether you saw Ben at any point.

He has a distinctive look and a Scottish accent.

We want nothing more this Christmas than to see Ben back home with his wife and family. It is a Christmas wish we hope comes true.

In the meantime, if you have any information about Ben - no matter how insignificant it might seem - please call the police on 101 and quote reference 29508/12/13.