March 4, 2020 5.06 pm This story is over 48 months old

Brother holds back tears in video plea to find missing Lincoln man in Germany

Have you seen Gareth?

The brother of a missing Lincoln man living in Germany has released an emotional video appeal in a desperate attempt to get his sibling home.

As previously reported, 32-year-old Gareth Hicks, who had also recently lived in Forfar in Scotland, is understood to have been with friends at Blitz Nightclub in Munich on the night of February 22.

Gareth left alone unexpectedly and the last known contact was a cryptic Facebook post, with a selfie captioned “modern slave” in the early hours of Sunday, February 23. He has not been seen since.

Stuart Hicks said someone must have seen his brother, who speaks very little German despite living there. He was wearing a Burgundy crew neck type jumper, blue jeans and trainers when he was last seen.

He said: “I am appealing for information about the whereabouts of my brother Gareth. He’s a very kind, gentle soul and is extremely intelligent. He’s caring and he’d give the shirt off his back, even in a blizzard.”

Gareth Hicks. Photo: The Lucie Blackman Trust

In a message directly to his brother, Stuart added: “I’m also appealing to Gareth to get in touch. Gaz, the whole family is looking for you, and your friends, we’re all really worried. If you feel that you’re unsafe in any way please just send a sign, we can protect you. We are here, we love you, we just want you back home, just send any sign whatsoever.

“If anyone else has any information at all that may help us locate him and bring him home, please contact the Lucie Blackman Trust as they are handling things on behalf of the family.”

A Facebook group was set up to aid with the search, which is also accompanied on social media with #findgareth.

Stuart has also created a donations page on Facebook as the family desperately need help funding ongoing travel expenses. At the time of publication, the page has raised £1,942.

Gareth posted this photo on his Facebook page on February 23 with the caption “modern slave”.

The Lucie Blackman Trust, which supports British nationals in crisis oversees, is urging anyone with information to come forward.

Matthew Searle MBE, Trust Chief Executive, said: “Munich is a busy, popular city and a huge amount of people would have been out on that Saturday night. Were you? Did you go to Blitz that night? Have you seen Gareth since that night?

“Please come forward with any information, no matter how small it seems. It could be the vital intelligence we need to bring Gareth safely home to his family.”

Have you seen Gareth?

Anyone with information can contact the Lucie Blackman Trust via email at [email protected], on WhatsApp on +44(0)7545 826407 or by phoning +44(0)1983 718802.