POLICE chiefs have admitted that hopes of finding a North-East man, who went missing in Greece nearly eight months ago, have all but ended.

Sports fanatic Melvyn Gamblin, of Darlington, travelled to Athens for the Olympic Games last year but, despite a massive investigation involving British and Greek detectives, he has never been seen by his family since.

The 38-year-old was due to fly home on September 3 after watching the Games but, after checking out of his hotel, he did not make his flight.

Senior police officers from Durham Constabulary travelled to Greece with Mr Gamblin's brother, Bryan, last October in a bid to find him.

But despite reported sightings of him on the islands of Aegina and Poros, Mr Gamblin, who suffers from the debilitating condition ME, could not be traced.

Last night, Detective Sergeant Dave Wilkes, who worked on the inquiry, conceded that it was "anybody's guess" where he could be.

"There have been no sightings and no new information or movements which we could put down to being Mr Gamblin," he said.

"These types of inquiries never go away but, as it stands, there is nothing new we can look at.

"There have been no movements on bills or bank accounts, so it would seem that he's basically disappeared."

Det Sgt Wilkes said there was no evidence of anything untoward happening to Mr Gamblin.

He said: "With the amount of publicity in Greece and over here, if he'd seen it and wanted to be found then he would've been. It's anybody's guess what's happened."

Detectives and Mr Gamblin's family were hopeful that he would appear to watch his beloved Middlesbrough FC in a UEFA Cup tie against Egaleo last year.

But despite a huge publicity campaign around the Greek club's stadium, Mr Gamblin did not show up.