POLICE divers are set to start searching the River Ouse tomorrow as the search continues for a York man who has been missing for more than a week.

Chris Baker, 29, of Albermarle Road in South Bank, disappeared in what North Yorkshire Police said were "unusual circumstances" last Thursday after suddenly abandoning his car in the city-centre.

Mr Baker, an accountant for the City Healthcare Partnership at Hull Royal Infirmary, was driving to work when he stopped his grey Renault Megane on Skeldergate Bridge at about 7.15am, gestured to a woman in the car behind him and jumped over the wall of the bridge into Tower Gardens, on the banks of the Ouse.

Police said high river levels had hampered their search, but they hope to send diving teams out tomorrow along the Ouse. The force has today renewed its appeal for information about what has happened to Mr Baker, who is white, about 5ft 9in tall, with a slim build and curly, dark brown hair. When he was last seen, he was wearing a striped work shirt.

"We have been searching for Chris for more than a week now, but our efforts have been held back by the floodwaters in and around the Ouse," said Chief Inspector Mike Walker.

"We are hoping the water levels have subsided enough to carry out a search of the river and the surrounding areas, as this is an important part of the investigation to locate Chris.

"In addition to our ongoing searches, it is very important that anybody who saw Chris in the area around Skeldergate Bridge at the time he went missing gets in touch as soon as possible."

Anybody with information about Mr Baker should phone North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option one and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number 12120213721.