Robert Smith

A FORMER London Underground worker and Arsenal season ticket holder has “vanished into thin air”, his distraught family said yesterday (Wednesday) as they appealed for help in the search for him.

Relatives said Robert Smith could be in the Camden area but is considered very vulnerable as he suffers from Alzheimer’s and dementia, and other health issues.

The 71-year-old has not been since 10.30am on Sunday when he left his home in Hornsey Road.

His sister-in-law, Liz Conway, said: “It’s been dreadful. We’ve had no sleep, we haven’t eaten. He’s vanished into thin air. Him and my sister have been together for 30 years.

“He left home on Sunday morning – she was hoovering and when she switched it off he had gone and left the front door wide open.

“He normally turns right at the Eaglet pub and then walks down Seven Sisters Road and goes to the fruit and veg stall outside the Enkel Arms, and he knows all the people on that stall and they normally call us if he’s there, but it was a Sunday and they weren’t open.

“Presumably he has gone down that way and we just don’t know where he would have gone next.”

The family has been told by the police that it is “very unusual” as normally there would have been sightings of Mr Smith – known as Bob – by now.

Ms Conway appealed to the public to approach him if they spot him by asking him about his beloved Arsenal or reassure him by talking about his partner Teresa Hartles.

He left home in his favourite Gunners hat. If he is spotted, she urged people to call 999 to get him help. He struggles to speak and may not be able to respond to questions, she warned, but can use hand gestures.

Mr Smith, who is around 5ft 10 with broad shoulders and a slight hunch, was wearing a greyish blue fleece with a neck zip, and canvas grey deck shoes with no socks. He has swollen legs and was not wearing a coat. He had no money on him.

Mr Smith came to London from Pinchbeck, Lincs when he was 16 and had worked for LU his entire career, working all over London including Camden Town, Leicester Square and Russell Square before becoming station supervisor at Covent Garden for several decades.

A train enthusiast, his family also think he could have boarded a train to his Lincolnshire hometown.

Before his illness, Mr Smith was “a very soft, very friendly, nice guy”, Ms Conway said, adding: “There was no aggression in him whatsoever. Everyone that he worked with had a lot of time for him. He was quite a shy guy but if you spoke to him about football or trains he’d speak to you all day and night.”