THE family of a dad-of-four who has been missing for more than three weeks have appealed for him to let them know he is okay.

It comes as police asked for people to help them find Heath Joseph Nield, a 31-year-old joiner, who has not made contact with his family since July 10.

Mr Nield's mother, Christine Mitton, who he had been living with since April at her home in Bacup, said her 'happy, positive' son had become depressed after losing his job.

She said: “He had gone missing from July 6 to 8 and when he came back, he seemed quiet.

“He had just been down the road, staying at a friend's house then, he just wasn't answering his phone. But now, it's going straight to answer phone.

“His children are aged two to 11, and they're just too little for their mums to tell them what's happened.

“The whole family miss him.”

Mr Nield's brother Jon, a 44-year-old joiner from Helmshore, said: “He's a loving, caring lad. He's moved around Whitworth, Stockport and Rossendale over the last few years. He's here, there and everywhere.

“But if he had just moved somewhere new and was safe, he would tell us. Before he went missing the first time, I would've said it was strange for him to leave his dog, Naimh, behind, because he loves his lurchers, the same as me. She's missing you mate, like all of us are.

“But now, I don't know because he didn't take her with him last time.

“If he could just text us or call us, anything, and just say ‘don't worry about me, I'm okay’ then that would be enough.”

Mr Nield's father, Peter, 62, a tool maker from Huddersfield, said: “He didn't turn in to work one day, and work's tight at the moment, and because he didn't turn up on site one morning, the company fired him, which is what you would expect. He's never been gone like this before. He would always let one of us know where he is. It doesn't matter that he's gone, just that he's okay.”

Mr Nield's last known location was in Rochdale, where on July 11 he was at a friend's house at 7.20am.

He is described as white, 5ft 10, medium build, with short dark brown hair. He has a number of distinctive tattoos, including a rose with a skull on the right side of his neck, the name Kelsie on his left forearm and a heart with the name Bethany on his right forearm.

Anyone with information, call police on 101 and quote log number 0265 of July 21.