THE family of missing Stuart Gilson have pleaded with the public not to give up searching for him.

Tonight marks a week since the 21-year-old vanished while on a night out in Hull's Old Town.

And although hundreds of people have helped search for him, the family say the number of volunteers is dropping and they are worried people are starting to give up.

Stuart's sister, Kimberley Gilson, 24, said: "We just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who is helping us search for Stuart. So many people are behind us and we really appreciate it, but they can't give up.

"Fewer people are coming out on the searches now. They might think that everywhere has been searched, but even if we do the same places over and over again someone might see something that has been missed."

Kimberley believes someone must have information about Stuart's disappearance and has made a new appeal for information.

She said: "People might think there is nothing they can do but they can – they can keep searching.

"Knowing people are out there looking for him is what is keeping the family going, we couldn't stay so strong if we didn't have that.

"If anyone is ever stuck for places to search please go back to base (Drypool Bridge) and branch off from there.

"Please don't give up on Stuart."

Along with the police, Stuart's family are concentrating their searches around the River Hull and Drypool Bridge, close to the last confirmed sighting.

Police investigating Stuart's disappearance have today (Monday, February 6) released a 39-second CCTV video clip which shows him walking on to Drypool Bridge.

Members of Stuart's family even waded into the river themselves yesterday to search for clues.

Stuart was captured on CCTV at 10.17pm last Saturday night making his way over Drypool Bridge. There is no CCTV footage showing Stuart exiting the bridge and police believe he took a shortcut alongside the River Hull, where he was possibly making his way home to Greatfield.

Stuart had been taken by taxi to Lowgate just minutes before, having been asked to leave a family party at the Embassy Hotel in Hedon Road because he was too drunk.

However, instead of going to the Vodka Revolution bar with the two friends he shared the taxi with as intended, Stuart walked off and did not tell them he was leaving.

More than 9,000 people have now joined the Facebook group Missing Stuart Gilson and several search parties have gone out each day to look for him.

Victoria Nicklin, 24, who is engaged to Stuart's brother Craig, told the Mail the family were desperate for news.

She said: "We are concentrating our searches around the river. We have even been in the water ourselves.

"We think because the last place he was seen was on the bridge people are thinking he has gone in the river and so have stopped helping us search, it is like they have given up.

"People are thinking 'he has gone in the water, so let's not bother', but we want to say to people 'please don't give up'.

"We still want to find him, we still want him back."

Anyone who wants to help search today is asked to go to Drypool Bridge and follow routes to Greatfield.

Stuart was last seen wearing a grey Luke-branded polo shirt with a large lion emblem, G-Star RAW jeans and black Fred Perry plimsolls with white laces.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

• Update - March 10: Body found in River Humber believed to be that of missing Stuart Gilson

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Police have released a poster appealing for information about missing Stuart Gilson which you can download here in PDF format.