WORCESTER community has been praised for coming together to help with the search for Tom Jones, who has been missing for nearly a week.

Hundreds of Worcester residents have supported the police in recent days in large scale searches.

Tom's cousin Louise Heffernan co-ordinated a mass search of all roads from Sabrina Bridge up to Hallow with other family members on Sunday. The University Of Worcester's Riverside Centre became a base for the search, before it was later scaled back.

People out of the searches looked for clues to his whereabouts, and handed out leaflets asking for the public's help.

Posters have been placed around the city, and elsewhere around the county. A large banner has also been put on display on Sabrina Bridge, while drones were also used to gather information.

On the Find Jonah group, Darren Ostler said: "The operation is now scaling down, and you have all been amazing with what has been achieved over the last few days.

"The information that has been gathered, locations and availability of CCTV footage, the search by land and air, you have all shown tremendous compassion, tenacity and motivation to help find Tom and bring him home.

"May I take this opportunity to thank you all, from Vicki, Ian, family and friends for all the hard work and many miles you have put in."

Worcester MP Robin Walker said: "I think it is only right people have come forward and responded to the situation.

"The public are so shocked and horrified, but it is only right the community want to help the police.

"It is right people have come forward and actively joined the search. It is a sign of what Worcester is.

"Sadly the city has had high profile incidents in the national media in recent weeks, but each time the public have reacted and helped the police, and shown they have a low tolerance for crime."

Superintendent Damian Pettit from West Mercia Police said: "The community of Worcester has really pulled together and I would like to thank everyone who has come forward with information, as well as to the hundreds of volunteers who have been supporting the investigation."

Detective Inspector Mark Bellamy from West Mercia Police said: "Firstly, I want to thank everyone who has come forward with information and possible sightings of Tom, the level of support that we have received from the local community is overwhelming.

"Tom's family is being supported by specially trained officers. I would like to thank them as well as his friends and hundreds of volunteers who have been supporting the investigation.

"It's a fairly unprecedented response."