The mother of a missing man who has not been seen for three months from Bolton is appealing for him to return home in time for his 35th birthday.

James Hodgkiss, aged 34, was reported missing on Tuesday August 2 and the last sighting of him was 7pm the next day in Weston Street in Great Lever.

He was seen heading towards Bolton town centre on foot wheeling a black piece of hand luggage.

His mother Christine Hodgkiss has not heard from her son for two months and is appealing directly to him ahead of his 35th birthday on Friday November 25.

She said: "James, if you read this, please come home.

"Your children need you, your family need you.

"Please just get in touch, we miss you very much and love you always.

"The main thing is that you come back to where you belong."

James is slim and 6ft 2in with blue eyes, short dark hair and stubble.

He was last seen wearing dark blue tracksuit bottoms, a dark coloured Nike t-shirt, black and white trainers and a dark blue jacket with a fur-edged hood.

At the end of last month a six-strong specialist team from the North West Underwater Search and Marine Unit, shared by GMP with other regional forces, carried out a search at  Bradford Reservoir in Bradford Road, Great Lever.

Specialist frogmen with two inflatable rib crafts were seen exploring the body of water as part of routine investigations in such a missing person case.

A land search team scoured undergrowth in the area and were combing an area at the nearby junction of Bradford Road and Crescent Road while other officers in hi-vis jackets conducted door-to-door enquiries and spoke to passers-by in Crescent Road among others.

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 5761 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.