'My uncle is missing and presumed drowned - why aren't police helping us like the family of Nicola Bulley?'

The family of a missing man who is believed to have fallen into a river have slammed the police's handling of the case compared to the huge search for Nicola Bulley.

Mark Bishop, 64, disappeared without a trace after he was last seen near an Aldi supermarket in Newark, Nottinghamshire, on 7 January this year.

Police believe he may have fallen into the nearby River Trent after crossing over a bridge but he has still not been found.

His family and friends have now criticised police for "doing nothing", comparing his case to that of missing mum-of-two Nicola Bulley, which has prompted a widespread search near where she disappeared in Lancashire, with his niece asking: "Surely my uncle is just as important as this poor woman."

One family friend even claims she was told by a police worker that it was "more likely a fisherman or a dog-walker would find him".

Bishop's niece Claire Arbuthnott, who lives in Edinburgh, said: "We are very unhappy because for the past few weeks the police have been saying he’s fallen in the river and that’s all they can tell us.

"We know they have a process but we’d expect them to be doing a bit more."

Referring to the Nicola Bulley case, she said: "Now, we’ve seen this woman go missing and everyone is talking about her but we don’t understand why he isn’t getting the same publicity and attention.

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"We had thought we just had to wait and see what the police said.

"But we’re watching this whole thing for the woman evolve on the television, all these people out searching for her and it seems like it’s a completely different process.

"Surely my uncle is just as important as this poor woman."

She said her mother, Bishop's sister, cries virtually every time his name is mentioned and had even walked by the river to "say goodbye" to her brother despite not knowing what had happened to him.

Family friend Gina Radford, from Balderton, Nottinghamshire, added: "They are doing nothing to look for him. It’s like Mark doesn’t exist."

Nottinghamshire Police launched a public appeal along with two images of Bishop on 10 January.

The force told the family they sent divers to search the River Trent on 17 January and they would return again soon to resume the hunt, but Radford said nothing had happened since then.

She said: "Whenever I get a message, the police say there is no further news and that divers will be sent again soon. But every week it’s again soon and never a date.

"The last time I spoke to the police, the woman on the phone said that they think Mark slipped, fell into the water and that is was more likely a dog walker or a fisherman would find him than the police and even then it could take weeks or months."

Nottinghamshire Police say they have examined local CCTV and sent in specialist divers in the search.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Hall said: "It has now been more than four weeks since Mark was last seen near the River Trent in Newark.

"His disappearance was very much out of character and his family and friends are understandably extremely concerned for his welfare.

"As with all investigations of this nature we have been working hard to understand Mark’s last known movements.

"We have thoroughly examined the local CCTV network and have also analysed his last financial transactions to build the clearest possible picture of what may have happened to him.

"Specialist police divers have also searched an area of the river in an effort to locate Mark, and regular updates have also been provided to his next of kin.

"I can only imagine the pain and upset felt by Mark’s family and friends during this very difficult period and I urge anyone with relevant information to come forward and let us know without delay."

Anyone with information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident 365 of Monday, 9 January, 2023.