‘Police say my missing uncle fell in the river - why aren’t they helping us like Nicola Bulley?’

Mark Bishop has not been seen since January 7 but his family is frustrated at the relative lack of attention his case has had

Mark Bishop went missing from the Newark area on January 7 (Nottinghamshire Police/ SWNS)

The family of a missing man presumed to have fallen into a river has criticised the police’s handling of the case compared to the huge search for Nicola Bulley.

Mark Bishop, 64, disappeared without a trace after he was last seen near an Aldi supermarket in Newark, Nottinghamshire, on 7 January.

Police believe he may have fallen into the nearby River Trent after crossing over a bridge.

It is thought Mr Bishop may have fallen near this bridge in Newark (SWNS)

His niece Claire Arbuthnott, who lives in Edinburgh, said: “We are very unhappy because for the past few weeks the police have been saying he’s fallen in the river and that’s all they can tell us.

“We know they have a process but we’d expect them to be doing a bit more.

“Now, we’ve seen this woman [Nicola Bulley] go missing and everyone is talking about her but we don’t understand why he isn’t getting the same publicity and attention.

“We had thought we just had to wait and see what the police said.

Bulley’s disappearance has attracted significant police resources (PA)

"But we’re watching this whole thing for the woman evolve on the television, all these people out searching for her and it seems like it’s a completely different process,” she continued.

“Surely my uncle is just as important as this poor woman. My mother, Mark’s sister, cries pretty much every time we mention his name.

“She managed to go down to Newark last week so she could walk down by the river and say goodbye to her brother.

"But she shouldn’t have to say goodbye when we don’t actually know what’s happened yet.”

Family friend Gina Radford has been searching the river bank every day looking for Mark (Newark Avertiser/SWNS)

Gina Radford, a close family friend, said they had been left frustrated by a lack of effort from police to find Mr Bishop and poor communication.

Ms Radford, of Balderton, said: “They are doing nothing to look for him. It’s like Mark doesn’t exist.”

Mr Bishop was last seen near Aldi on Northgate on the evening of 7 January and reported missing two days later by a neighbour. He is believed to have fallen into the River Trent after crossing the Millennium footbridge.

Concerned for his safety, Nottinghamshire Police released a public appeal along with two images of him on 10 January.

Family and friends have been taking turns walking the river route most days on lunch breaks and after work in hope of finding any sign.

Ms Radford said CCTV showed Mr Bishop walking past Aldi towards the river at 8.45pm before crossing a bridge towards a marina in a “confused state”.

“That is when he disappeared and then there were no sightings or CCTV showing where he might have been after that,” she said. “It is believed he may have slipped as he was unsteady on his feet.”

Police told the family they sent divers to search the Trent on 17 January and that they would return again soon to resume the hunt.

“Since then nothing else has happened at all,” Ms Radford said. “Whenever I get a message, the police say there is no further news and that divers will be sent again soon. But every week it’s again soon and never a date.

“The last time I spoke to the police, the woman on the phone said that they think Mark slipped, fell into the water and that is was more likely a dog walker or a fisherman would find him than the police and even then it could take weeks or months.”

Nottinghamshire Police say they have examined local CCTV and sent in specialist divers in the search.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Hall said: “It has now been more than four weeks since Mark was last seen near the River Trent in Newark.

“His disappearance was very much out of character and his family and friends are understandably extremely concerned for his welfare.

“As with all investigations of this nature, we have been working hard to understand Mark’s last known movements.

"We have thoroughly examined the local CCTV network and have also analysed his last financial transactions to build the clearest possible picture of what may have happened to him.

“Specialist police divers have also searched an area of the river in an effort to locate Mark, and regular updates have also been provided to his next of kin.”

Anyone with information about Mark’s disappearance is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident 365 of Monday, January 9, 2023.

SWNS and Fiona Burrows also contributed to this article