THE distraught mother of a Worcester man who has now been missing for seven weeks said he disappeared after receiving an answerphone message from his girlfriend telling him their five-year relationship was over.

Einstein Ellis, of Barbourne Road, was last seen by colleagues at Ottakar's bookshop in The Shambles, on Saturday, November 20.

Now the 36-year-old's mother Yvonne - speaking to the Evening News from Einstein's flat where she was trawling through paperwork searching for clues - said the last time she spoke to her son he was inconsolable.

"He just said he didn't want to talk to anyone," she said.

"Judging by the frame of mind he was in when he went missing, who knows what has happened - his girlfriend was his life.

"We've seen letters he wrote to her which are distressing - he was very low.

"The phone message is still on his answer machine and it's driving me mad."

Yvonne, who lives in Hereford, said the family had not celebrated Christmas - and instead went to search for Einstein.

The 57-year-old senior care assistant added she, her daughter Sharon and son-in-law Andy, had "exhausted themselves" looking for him and are desperate for information leading to his whereabouts.

"I've walked miles up and down all the canals and waterways and we've put posters up everywhere we think he might go - we've even given some to a friend at British Rail to put on the London Underground," she added.

"If anyone sees him, we just urge them to get in touch with the police.

"If he sees this, we desperately want him to let us know he's safe."

Einstein, known as Mark when he lived in Hereford, is white, 6ft tall, of heavy build, clean-shaven with cropped brown hair, blue eyes and glasses.

He has several tattoos, one of Albert Einstein on his left upper arm, a girl on his left thigh, a girl on his right forearm and a scarab beetle on the outside of his lower right leg.

Anyone with information can call police on 08457 444888 quoting 0204S/231104.