A MYSTERY over the whereabouts of a charity worker deepened last night.

Nothing has been heard of Rod Jones, 57-year-old founder of Teesside-based charity Convoy Aid, his wife Gabriella, or a 13-year-old schoolboy, Ashley Clough, who was travelling with them, since their four-track was stopped and searched in Germany on Wednesday morning.

The group were on their way back to Britain after a Christmas mission to Romania, when they were stopped as they crossed into Germany from Austria.

It emerged last night that German customs officials carried out a large-scale stop and search operation at the Passau crossing, looking for couriers smuggling drugs from eastern Europe.

Although no-one in Britain has been able to contact the three, the British Foreign Office said last night that no-one had been arrested or detained in of Wednesday's anti-smuggling operation and it is assumed Ashley and Mr and Mrs Jones have restarted their trip to Britain.

Ashley had been given special permission by Norton School headmaster Paul Wray to go on the trip, accompanied by 420 shoe box Christmas gifts donated by pupils at the school.

Mr Wray said: "From our point of view it was a family request that Ashley be allowed to go, and we were happy to support the trip.

"I have no doubt in my mind about the nature of the journey. But, I am shocked to hear this. Ashley was looking forward immensely to this, as a contribution to global citizenship.''