Police said Christopher Bates' trousers appear purple in this photo, but they were not, and were just a dark colour. Photo: NZ PoliceCentral Otago police have released a new image of missing Alexandra man Christopher Bates and reminded people to remain vigilant as the search for him continues. Const Andrew said additional search dog teams were on their way to Alexandra from Christchurch at present to assist with today's search. Alexandra urban and rural residents are being asked to search their properties, including any sheds or outbuildings, and keep their "eyes and ears" out for anything unusual in river or hill areas. Mr Bates' family has printed 2500 pamphlets asking for knowledge of his whereabouts and they were being distributed in Alexandra and Clyde, including with a community newspaper today.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 20, 2018 23:37 UTC