Man missing after going running with dog as flood waters rose during Storm Bert

There are growing fears for a man who went missing after going running as flood waters rose in Storm Bert. The man was apparently out jogging with his dog near in the Trefriw area near the Afon Conwy.

The area was being hit by Storm Bert which saw waters quickly rise in the Conwy Valley. The heavy rainfall was compounded by the ice and snow melt from last week as well as the high tide, which prevented water was flowing down the river.

Large areas of farmland between Llanrwst and Trefriw are flood plain - used to protect those two communities from dangerous flooding. The man did not return from his run but it is understood the dog was found.

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The alert was raised and a major search started at around 4pm.

The fire service had specialist water rescue teams at the scene from across the region and were joined by police and the ambulance service in Trefriw, where the search was being coordinated.

The HM Coastguard helicopter also later searched the river from the air, using thermal imaging cameras. The Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team were also called - with volunteers descending on the village.

A spokesman said team members gathered in Trefriw and joined the search effort in extremely challenging conditions. They said the combination of the rain, melting ice and snow and the high tide had left water levels very high.

The team searched with the emergency services for a number of hours - with inflatable boats used to search around the river. But the man has not been found. The search has been called off for the evening and is expected to restart in the morning.