Fears grow for Kiwi missing in London

Missing Kiwi Johnny Sleigh. Photo / Supplied

A major search is under way in London for a New Zealand man who has been missing for six days after failing to return home from an evening at a nightclub.

Concerns about Johnny Sleigh were raised on Monday after the 36-year-old failed to return messages left on his phone or turn up at his job.

By Tuesday friends reported his disappearance to the police.

Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant Stephen Marshall told the Herald police were in the middle of their inquiries but "everyone in the department had dropped everything" to work on the investigation.

Mr Sleigh, a draughtsman at an engineering firm, was last seen at the Brazilian-themed Guanabara Club in Holborn where he had gone with friends on Friday night.

It is understood he stayed on after friends left about 12.30am. He never returned to his flat in Clapham Common, South London, which has since been searched by police.

Mr Sleigh, who enjoyed snowboarding, tennis and running, has been based in London for six years and was planning to return home at the end of this year.

He kept in regular contact with his family in New Zealand. His last contact with them was via Facebook last Wednesday and he spoke to his mother on the phone about three weeks ago, saying everything was fine.

His sister Catherine Booth said the family were contacted by friends on Tuesday.

"The family are in shock and are extremely worried for Johnny's safety," she said, adding that it was completely out of character for Mr Sleigh to disappear.

Members of his family, who live in Waimate, are considering travelling to London in the next few days to help with the search.

Mrs Booth said police had upgraded their search for her brother on Wednesday night from general inquiries. They are now obtaining bank and phone details and getting CCTV footage from the club and the area where he was last seen. They have also taken his laptop and documents from his home.

Close friend Martha McKenzie-Minifie, also based in London, said this was "very unlike Johnny".

"His friends and workmates here in London and his family back in New Zealand are very worried. There are a lot of questions and very few answers at the moment."

Ms McKenzie-Minifie said she had been working with friends to ring hospitals, visit the club with Mr Sleigh's photograph and gather contact details for anyone who may have spoken to him in the days leading to his disappearance.

She said Mr Sleigh had been taking salsa lessons at the club and visiting it on Friday nights for about six weeks. He was familiar with the local area and lived only about 10km away so it wasn't likely that he had got lost.

His friends have started a Facebook page called "Please Help" in the hope of gaining information. His family are appealing for anyone with information to contact London's missing persons unit or the New Zealand police.