THE daughter of a missing Carlisle pensioner has issued a poignant plea for information about his whereabouts.

It is now six days since 82-year-old great grandfather Thomas Jardine went missing from his Denton Holme flat, leaving a hand-written note which suggests that he was in the grip of a panic attack.

But his daughter Deborah, 53, says his disappearance is completely out of character and utterly baffling. Independent, generally healthy and happy-go-lucky, Thomas was planning ahead.

Despite a few relatively minor health conditions, there were no indications he was facing a personal crisis, said Deborah. Police have issued appeals, checked CCTV systems, and had local rivers searched.

But so far there have been no clues at all to his whereabouts or what may have happened to him. “It’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth,” said Deborah.

She described how her father’s 90-year-old brother had arrived at Thomas’s Denton Holme flat on Thursday and noted that the curtains were drawn. “He tried to phone him but there’s wasn’t an answer,” said Deborah.

After his hospital appointment, the brother returned to the flat and noticed the front door was ajar. Fearing the worst, he alerted Deborah’s daughter who rushed to the flat and found the note.

It suggested Thomas suffered a panic panic attack, and concluded with an apology, so she immediately dialled 999. Inside the flat, police found evidence of a sudden departure, including a half-eaten slice on toast on a plate.

Thomas had clearly not followed his daily routine.

Deborah said: “He hadn’t taken his keys, his phone or his inhaler. He left his car at home and he hadn’t taken money. Every day, my dad would mark the day off on the calendar…

“He hadn’t been for his paper; he hadn’t marked the day off on the calendar. Basically, he’s just walked out of the flat and not locked the door. I don’t understand it – but it is his handwriting on the note.”

Deborah said she has feared “something sinister” may have happened to her father. She feels sure that if he had suffered any kind of medical emergency he would have been found by now.

Searches of the River Caldew at Denton Home – which is unusually shallow just now – have drawn a blank.

Using her own Facebook page, she has shared the story of Thomas going missing and it has been seen by thousands of people. Despite some false leads, there have been no solid clues to what has happened.

Asked about the possibility of self-harm, Deborah accepted her dad had sciatica and tinnitus but he was able to live with those conditions.

She said: “He lost his son in 2001 and didn’t go to the river; he lost his sister shortly after and didn’t go to the river; the death of his mam affected him and he didn’t go to the river; and just last year, he lost his partner of 30 odd years and he didn’t go to the river.

“It’s her anniversary on Thursday and he already had the flowers in his car ready to put on the grave.” Deborah spoke also of how much her father means to his family.

She said: “I’m not saying that something bad has happened to my dad but the police have trawled through hours of CCTV; they’ve looked at dashcam footage, and been ringing doorbells.

“Where is my dad?

“The worst thing is not knowing. I’ve gone through it in my head: has he had a heart attack, a stroke, a funny turn? If he had, he’d have collapsed on the street. If he did collapse, he’s got to be somewhere.

“The police have had calls from as far afield as Maryport, Whitehaven and Workington. I’ve got daughters with young children and they’re out searching with their prams and kids.

“It’s not bad during the day, but once it starts to get dark it just never leaves my mind. I'm fearful; I don't know how I'd cope if something bad had happened to him. He knows how much he has always meant to us all; he’s kept us all going. If anybody knows anything at all, please let us know.

“And please keep searching for my dad. He means the world to us and our lives have not been the same since he went.”

Typically, Thomas wears a zip-up cardigan or flee over a short-sleeve shirt. He also walks with a distinctively straight back and with his shoulders back. Deborah added: “If he is still alive, please dad, come home.”

Anybody who sees Thomas, or who knows anything about his whereabouts, should contact Cumbria Police or alternatively contact Deborah via her Facebook page.