THE wife of a doctor who mysteriously vanished before the birth of his baby son yesterday chose Father's Day to make an emotional appeal for him to return.

Dr Jane Noble, a specialist in geriatric care, has not seen her husband, Dr Matthew Choyce, since he left their High Heaton home in Newcastle, early on October 7, 1997.

She still believes Dr Choyce, who was a casualty doctor at Sunderland Royal Hospital, is alive and will one day return home to meet the son, Iain, he has never seen.

Dr Noble, 32, spoke as a sponsored walk to raise funds for the National Missing Persons Helpline passed through the North-East on Father's Day.

She planned to join the 16-mile stretch from Newcastle to Durham, but a back injury, sustained lifting Iain into her car on Saturday, prevented her taking part.

Family friends took her place, making the trek in hot conditions, pushing Iain in his buggy to the finishing point for the day, in Durham Market Place.

Dr Noble was pregnant with Iain when Dr Choyce vanished.

His Renault Clio car and a T-shirt were found at Tynemouth, six miles away, but there have been no confirmed sightings since.

Speaking at the starting point of yesterday's walk, Dr Noble said: "I'm convinced Matthew is still alive, and Iain and I still want him to come home to us.

"Father's Day has a particular significance to us both. Iain would love to meet his daddy and I know Matthew would be thrilled to meet his son.

"Iain has just turned two and he is a wonderful, boisterous, cheerful little boy, and a joy to be with. He knows who his daddy is and when he is asked, he points to his photograph.

"I have told him that his daddy has gone away, but we are desperately hoping he will come back.

"I very much believe that Matthew is out there and that he will come home when he has had time to sort himself out.

"Even if he just calls to say 'I'm okay' that would be enough for the time being."

The Missing Miles Walk left Edinburgh on June 10 and is scheduled to end in Regent's Park, London, on July 22, after taking a round route, featuring the Grand Union Canal.