POLICE today intensified their search for missing pensioner Jack Hawthornthwaite after searches of all his favourite places proved unsuccessful.

But police said the foot and mouth outbreak was hampering the search for Jack, 70, who walked out of Highfield Residential Home on Sudell Road, Darwen at 1am on Tuesday.

Yesterday, the search area was widened to take in areas of open land.

Sergeant Phil Nowland said they were not going on footpaths which had been closed and the force helicopter could not go as low as they would like because of fears of spreading the disease into the wind.

Det Insp Rob Campbell who has been helping co-ordinate the search said: "We have a lot of officers on this case and we searched everywhere Jack was known to frequent.

"We concentrated on Darwen in particular because he has so many friends in the town."

Jack is 5ft 10ins tall and slim.

He has a pale complexion, brown eyes and thinning grey hair.

He was wearing a light blue jacket, a turquoise, navy and white shirt, navy tracksuit bottoms and slippers.