The mother of a gay trainee rabbi who has been missing for more than a week has flown in from Germany to appeal for him to get in touch.

Barbara Hinz, 62, travelled from Ulm in Germany to help police looking for her 37-year-old son Andreas, from Finchley, who was last seen leaving the Black Cap gay pub in Camden High Street at 2.10am on Wednesday last week.

He got into a minicab with a Scottish man he had been talking to and has not been seen since.

"We are terribly concerned for Andy and I really miss him," said Mrs Hinz. "Andy has always been conscientious and reliable. Since he was a young boy he has always been very good and we are very close.

"If he hears these appeals I plead for him to get in contact with us or the police or anyone, just to say he is okay.

"We just want to know he is safe."

Mr Hinz, who is known as Andy, lives in Windermere Avenue with other rabbinic students at the Leo Baeck College in East End Road, Finchley.

Rabbi Dr Michael Shire, the vice-principal of the college, said: "His disappearance is completely out of character.

"He is a wonderful, warm, friendly, humorous person, very German, very meticulous, very well-organised, very responsible.

"He is an excellent student, he just passed his second year exams. The staff and students here are very distressed and concerned for his safety."

Detective Chief Inspector Ian West, from the Serious Crime Squad, leading the investigation into Andy's disappearance, said: "Andy's bank account remains untouched since Tuesday and there is no indication that Andy has taken any clothes away with him."

He added that it was possible Andy had decided to take time out to escape the pressures of his course. Police are hoping to find the minicab driver, who they say is not a suspect, but may be key to their inquiry.

Andy is described as 5ft 7ins tall, of slim build, with light brown, swept back hair, blue eyes, and round glasses.

He was last seen wearing black trousers, a black jacket, a Jewish kipah hat with a white baseball cap on top. He had a black leather attache case with him.

The man he left the club with is described as 18 to 23 years old, 5ft 7ins tall, of slim build with short, dark hair.

Anyone with information on Andy's whereabouts can call police on 020 7321 7228 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

July 10, 2002 17:30