Did store’s closure upset missing Reg?

7:30am Friday 7th March 2008

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A MISSING elderly man may have disappeared after struggling to cope with the closure of South-ampton's city centre Woolworths store.

Fears are growing for the safety of 77-year-old Reginald Brown who went missing from his home two weeks ago.

A friend of the pensioner described Mr Brown as "a loner" who kept himself to himself and said that the closure of the High Street store just before Christmas last year represented a huge change to his daily routine.

"He would go there everyday to have a cup of tea in the restaurant. It was his routine and I don't know what he did when they closed," said Ann Long.

Ms Long said that Mr Brown used to care for her late mother and she would visit him regularly to help with house cleaning and to make sure he was well.

"My mother and her friend first saw him in the restaurant there more than five years ago. That's when she started talking to him and got to know him."

Ms Long said Mr Brown's health had worsened recently and he had been discharged from hospital after a fall at his flat in Kent Street.

"He couldn't use his legs but when he went to hospital he seemed to be able to walk around a bit better," she said. Mr Brown was last seen when a doctor made a follow-up visit on Saturday, February 22.

"He doesn't have any family and his neighbours and I are really very worried about him," Ms Long added.

A Hampshire police spokesman said they were treating the disappearance of Mr Brown as a high priority case.

Police have released a picture of Mr Brown which was taken from his bus pass.

He is thought to have no access to money and no warm clothes with him.