Family desperate to find missing son James Corfield
The mother of a missing 19-year-old says his family are "desperate to know where he is".
Louise Corfield, the mother of James Corfield, who was last seen leaving a pub in Builth Wells in the early hours of Tuesday morning, said his disappearance is "totally out of character".
James, from Montgomery, had been at the Royal Welsh Show.
Since his disappearance teams of police, council staff, mountain rescue experts, and James' friends and family have been scouring the area in an effort to find him.
Mrs Corfield said James' colleagues at Montgomery Cricket Club want him back for their match this weekend.
She said: "James has still not been found, and we, his parents, brother, sister and grandma are desperate to know where he is.
"This is totally out of character of James. He is so passionate about his farm animals, and hasn’t come home to them. He would never leave them unattended, which makes us even more worried about where he is.
"James is a gifted cricket player, and is due to play cricket this Saturday, and his team, Montgomery Cricket Club, need him home for this.
"We’re grateful for the many volunteers who are helping to search for him, but we still can’t find him and need your help. Where is he?
"We love you James."
Superintendent Huw Meredith urged anyone with information to get in touch.
He said: "Police officers, along with support from Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, are continuing to search for 19-year-old James Corfield around Builth Wells.
"We are still appealing for anyone who might have seen him late on Monday evening or during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Please ring 101 with any information you might have.
"Volunteers are continuing to assist, and while we are grateful for their support, we would like to remind people not to undertake their own searches out of consideration for their own safety.
James was last seen at around midnight on Monday at the White Horse pub in Builth.
The alarm was raised when he did not turn up to meet his family at the Royal Welsh Show the following afternoon.
He is described as being 6ft 2 inches tall, of slim build, with short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue Abercrombie and Fitch shirt, and jeans.
He had been camping at the event with friends.
Dyfed-Powys Police say a secondary search is being conducted at The Royal Welsh Show showground and the Young People’s Village now that the show has concluded and there are less people and vehicles around. The search along the river is continuing with the use of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s drone.
But volunteers have been advised not to attend at the search site today due to the specialist nature of the search and for their own safety.
Superintendent Jon Cummins said: “While we fully understand the concern from the community and the desire to assist in the search for James, it is vitally important at this stage that we have only specially trained officers and our partners out there looking for him. Staying away is the best possible assistance the public can give us today and of course reporting any new information they may have to us by calling 101 immediately. Thank you for your support in sharing our appeals so far.”
Montgomery Cricket Club has cancelled its fixtures this weekend.
Club chairman John Barker said James is an "exceptional" cricketer who was last year named the Shropshire League Young Player of the Year.
He added: "We want him back. He's so important to us and we really feel for the family."
James, who is from Montgomery, was reported missing shortly before 2pm on Tuesday, July 25 when he didn't return to meet his family at the Royal Welsh Show.
The statement added: "The club is still concerned about the whereabouts of James Corfield. He’s an outstanding cricketer and friend to everyone at the club, and we can’t wait to get him back.
"Our thoughts are with Louise, Brian, Thomas and Emma, all of whom are at the heart of our cricketing family at Lymore.
"We’re very thankful to the large number of players, supporters and friends who are helping to find James, and we‘ll be doing all we can until he returns.
"We also appreciate all the support and messages sent by other clubs and individuals. Because of the efforts made by our players and supporters throughout the week, we won’t be putting teams out this Saturday, and thanks are due to Cound and Ludlow Cricket Clubs for their understanding during this period."
