A NEW sighting of a missing man from Clacton has been reported to police.

Officers are searching for Ronald King, 63, who was last seen on Friday.

Mr King, who lives permanently at the Travelodge in Jackson Road, told staff at the hotel he planned to head out into the sea in his small inflatable dinghy.

It was thought the last sighting of him was on his mobility at the seafront Atlanta Café on Friday afternoon, carrying a blue dinghy and oars.

But after police appealed for information a new sighting has been reported.

A man reported speaking to Mr King on the seafront between the pier and Martello Bay at about 9.30pm on Friday.

Police hope the latest reported sighting may mean Mr King did not venture into the sea, but still fear for his safety.

Det Insp Russ Cole said: "The new sighting could be significant as it suggests that Mr King might not have gone out in his boat.

“The seafront is always busy during the day but we have had no sightings of him using the boat and searches by the police helicopter and boats have found nothing at sea.

"We are now hoping to contact friends and associates of Mr King to build up a picture of his lifestyle to find out the places where he might have gone to."

Cops have also released a new picture of Mr King to help people identify him.

Anyone with information should contact officers at Clacton on 101.