POLICE and coastguard searched throughout the early hours of this morning for a missing vulnerable person.

Isle of Wight Search and Rescue volunteers were out for several hours with other agencies.

The missing person is believed to have been found safe.

More to follow.

Update 11.20am: A spokesperson for the Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team said: " We were tasked with Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Team, Needles Coastguard Rescue Team, Cowes RNLI and Wight Search and Rescue to assist the police with a missing person.

"Extensive search carried out on both sides of river Medina.

"After around five hours, the casualty was safely found in another area."

Update 1.10pm: A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Police has said: "We were called just after 10pm on Feb 21 to a report of missing 56-year-old man from Newport.

Concerned for the man’s welfare, we conducted a large scale search involving the Coastguard and National Police Air Service."