Daniel Hives: Friends and brother hold special event in Lancaster to mark missing man's 29th birthday

Daniel’s brother Robbie joined friends by the side of the River Lune - close to where Daniel was last seen - on Wednesday to celebrate Daniel’s birthday.

They decorated the area around the Lune Street end of the Millennium Bridge with balloons and banners.

Daniel, who is from Coventry but has lived in Preston for around eight years, went missing after visiting a friend in Lancaster on December 10.

Robbie made the trip to Lancaster from his home in Coventry to help spread the word about his brother’s disappearance as well as to mark his birthday.

And he made a personal plea to Daniel to get in touch if he possibly could, to let the family know he was OK.

"If you are out there Dan, just let us know you are safe,” he said. “You don’t need to let us know where you are, just give us a little message or sign or anything, that’s all we need, just to know you are safe.”

One of nine siblings, Dan also has links to Norwich, where they lived for a while around 10 years ago, as well as connections to Coventry, Preston and Lancaster.

Robbie said family and friends will raise a glass to Dan later today, as they would have if he was with them to celebrate his birthday.

"We always say that Dan has a birthday month, not just a day,” he said.

"He loves a good whisky or a vodka, he likes the posh stuff.

"He’s always the party man so we would have been partying all day.

"He’s very fun, and always trying to make everybody happy. You can never be dull around him.

"He will always raise your spirits and make sure everybody is having the best day they possibly can.

"That’s why it hurts so much, because obviously we don't have that person there to be able to lift us up.”

Daniel hasn't been seen since he left City View, Sidings Close, close to the River Lune, at around 9.30pm on December 10.

A possible later sighting is from the Millennium Bridge area, close to the exit from Lune Street, on the same evening.

Daniel, who has a young son, was last seen wearing a blue Hugo Boss tracksuit and black trainers.

He is 6ft 2ins tall, of slim build with brown hair.

He has a tattoo on the right side of his neck reading 'Shannon' and also has a 'pixie ear' on his right side.

Police say extensive searches, including in the River Lune, having taken place since Daniel's disappearance.

Anyone who may have any information or sightings of Daniel should contact 101, quoting log 0250 of December 10 2022.

Robbie said living so far away made the situation even harden for him and other members of the family.

"We just want to know Dan is safe,” he said. “We want to get his face out there as much as possible because the last time we did a search there were a lot of people who didn’t know he was missing which was very disheartening.

"We need to find him. He needs to come home.”