Police say concern is growing for a missing man, whose disappearance sparked a major search off the Llyn Peninsula.

He was reported missing off Porth Ysgaden by HM Coastguard at around 1.15pm on Thursday lunchtime.

A nine-hour search operation along the coastline and on land was called off shortly after midnight with no one found.

Specialist police officers, backed up by lifeboat and coastguard teams, are still carrying out searches of the area.

They want to speak to the drivers of two vehicles spotted around Porth Ysgaden.

Chief Inspector Stephen Pawson from North Wales Police said: "I am appealing to anyone who was in the area of Porth Ysgaden on Wednesday, November 27th or Thursday, November 28th to make contact with us at the earliest opportunity."

“I am particularly interested in identifying a van driver who spoke to a Coastguard member in the area of the cove...who I believe could have information that could assist with our enquiries."

“I am also asking anyone who saw a silver Ford Mondeo Titanium parked in the car park close to Porth Ysgaden between November 27th and November 28th to get in touch."

Anyone with information should contact North Wales Police on 101 or via the live web chat, quoting reference no. Q179229.

Meanwhile, the RNLI at Porthdinllaen was called out again to assist with the ongoing search on Saturday.

They initially searched an area of around 30 square miles between Porthysgaden and Porthdinllaen on Thursday in difficult weather conditions and fading daylight. No sighting was made and their search was called off at around 10.30pm.

Kenneth Fitzpatrick, lifeboat operations manager at Porthdinllaen said: "Our team made a thorough search and saturated the area of concern, in what was a difficult condition with failing light and strong winds."

"Our thanks to our search partners for their assistance and professionalism, we are all thinking of the family of the suspected missing person at this time."

The coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon also took part in Thursday's search, alongside a Coastguard plane from Liverpool and land-based coastguard teams from Abersoch and Aberdaron.