After almost seven months without their grandfather, the family of an Abbey Wood pensioner are appealing for any information on his whereabouts following his 86th birthday on April 22.

Last week police announced a £10,000 reward to help trace Brian Smart, who was last seen at his home around 7.30pm on September 22 of last year.

Mr Smart’s son Mark, 54, lives five doors down from his dad and saw him every day.

He came home and had a cup of tea with his dad on the evening he disappeared.

Brian told his son he was going to Bexleyheath to do some shopping, which was a normal activity for the retired factory worker, but when it got dark and he hadn’t returned, Mark started to worry.

He told News Shopper: “We lost mum seven or eight years ago but he was surviving well on his own.

“He wasn’t upset or anything like that. He was old and forgetful but not demented.

“I would love him to come home, his fish would love him to come home, his grandchildren are very distressed about not seeing him.

“There’s no closure and no answers – it’s a very strange feeling.

“You just go to work and try not to think about it but I think about it every hour of every day – especially at night.

“My sleep patterns are terrible and I wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning.”

News Shopper:

L-R: Brian in 2000 with grandson Harry when he was seven and wife Vera, who died eight years ago.

Despite emotional appeals from his devastated family for his return, there are no clues surrounding what could have happened to Brian.

Mark is still holding out hope: “He lived for me and the grandchildren. That was his life. He would not run off and leave us without any news.

“It’s so difficult – we don’t know where he is, we just hope he’s safe and well and that someone knows something.”

Brian’s 22-year-old grandson Harry Smart hopes that the new appeal will remind people that his grandfather still needs to be found.

He says: “Please come forward if you see anyone who looks like him, even if it’s miles away, just give us anything that will make us think again.

“Maybe he’s out there somewhere.

“He knew everyone around and they knew him. He would chat to whoever.

“He was one of those people that you wouldn’t think anyone would do anything to.

“You hear stories of six months later, people being found miles away.

“You just hope that he’s the one in a million person they find somehow.”

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Mr Smart is described as a white man, 5ft 7inches tall and of medium build.

At the time of his disappearance he was generally fit and well for his age.

He walks with a stick and it was not thought he had money or an Oyster card with him.

At the time of his disappearance he was believed to be wearing a beige or cream jacket which is featured in the CCTV footage taken at Bluewater shopping centre the day before he went missing.

He is also known to frequent Bexleyheath, Dartford and Bostall Woods in Greenwich.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Balcombe, of Greenwich Missing Persons Unit, said: “Since his disappearance, officers have been working tirelessly to find Brian - this work has involved scouring CCTV and using specialist search teams including dog units and the police helicopter to search areas.

“We have previously released images of a watch, a mobile phone and a jacket similar to those that Brian would have had on him when he was last seen, in the hope that someone may have found them discarded or possibly been offered them for sale.

“Every day that goes by without news of Brian is agony for his family.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police in Greenwich on 020 8284 7712 / 13 or 07770 825571. Alternatively call the police non-emergency line 101.