MISSING man Michael Hartshorne is reunited with his family after disappearing to Cornwall early on Tuesday morning.

Dressed in his work gear for the Flint Group on Hawskworth Industrial Estate, Michael left his front door on foot at 5.45am as he always did.

His family was stunned when they realised he had not made the five-minute journey to work from his home in Mannington Park. They launched a social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter which gathered hundreds of shares throughout Wednesday.

His family said things had become too much for 63-year-old Michael, who fled to Cornwall in desperation. They became increasingly concerned as he had never taken off without warning before, and queries to his family in Staffordshire bore no results.

Having formerly had a cardiac arrest Michael needed to take daily heart medication and was found in the nick of time after the two-day search.

Finally, at about 10.30pm on Wednesday, Michael phoned his wife Lynne, 57, as a final cry for help. She calmed her husband and was able to alert Devon and Cornwall Police who found Michael and his family immediately travelled to fetch him.

He will now recouperate after the ordeal, and is taking some time off work while he recovers. “Things just got beyond his coping,” said Lynne. “He felt like he had to get away from everything, and then he made a call for help to me last night.

“I was able to talk him round and get him some help. He had gone to Cornwall, so the Devon and Cornwall police went and collected him and my son and daughter drove down to bring him back home.

“He made contact at about 10.30pm last night, which was such a relief. “It will still be quite a long process to get him back now but he is home safe and fast asleep.

“Flint Group have been amazing and have given him time off work to recover. “I would like to thank everybody on Facebook who shared the appeal and in particular my family, friends and the police, who were very helpful.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “Wiltshire Police can confirm that Michael Hartshorne, 63, who was reported missing from Swindon on Tuesday, May 27 has been found safe and well.

“Mr Hartshorne was found on Wednesday night.

“Wiltshire Police would like to thank members of the public and the media for their assistance in this investigation.”