THE parents and girlfriend of missing York man Peter Critchlow today made an emotional appeal for help to trace him.

Peter's parents, John and Norma Critchlow, who came to York from their home in Northamptonshire, and his girlfriend Dawn Harrison, spoke at an emotional press conference at York Police headquarters.

Mrs Critchlow said: "Peter is a caring, loving son, brother and boyfriend. We are a very close family. He came to York to study, and loved the city and people so much that he stayed.

"He is a happy and popular man. We last saw him on October 25 he was so happy. I last spoke to him on the phone on November 9 when it was my birthday. He was so full of coming home for Christmas.

"It would be the best Christmas present ever if the good people of York would think back and try to remember incidents from the night he went missing. It might be small and insignificant, but please tell us so we can have him home for Christmas."

Chief Superintendent John Lacy urged the public to cast their minds back 28 days to the night Peter went missing.

The York civil servant was last seen in the Heworth Green area at about 3.30am on Saturday, November 17. He was near a phone box close to the Transco car park.

Mr Lacy said extensive searches had been carried out in the Heworth and The Groves areas, including the distribution of more than 1,000 leaflets, yet there had been no contact, sightings or information.

He also said there had been no "movement" with Peter's mobile phone or bank records, and said there was no suggestion he was involved in an altercation or disagreement the night he vanished.

Mr Lacy also said there was no suggestion Peter had been abducted or that anyone wanted to harm him in any way.

He said: "We are working extremely hard to find Peter and rest assured, we will do."

He had spent a night out with friends at The Old Swan, Goodramgate, and The Willow restaurant, Coney Street.

Peter, of Markham Street, The Groves, who works for the Government pensions department at Monks Cross, has not gone missing before.

Police have mounted a massive hunt for him, with divers searching the River Foss and a section of the Ouse where Peter liked to go, behind the Willow restaurant in Coney Street.

Officers have also made inquiries at the Shoulder of Mutton pub, in Heworth, where Peter used to work, and checked CCTV tapes of the night Peter disappeared.

Updated: 10:39 Friday, December 12, 2003