THE PARENTS of a man who had been missing from Burnley General Hospital for nine days have spoken of their relief.

Police and the parents of 36-year-old Matthew Duffield had feared the worst after he walked out of the hospital at 10.35am on Tuesday, January 5.

But Matthew walked into a mobile police station in Liverpool city centre on Thursday afternoon after spotting a poster appealing for information on his whereabouts.

His mum Angela and dad Keith said: “We are so pleased to have Matthew back.

"With the weather how it has been we were starting to fear the worst.

“We are very grateful for the efforts put in to find Matthew and for the support from the public and the media.”

Matthew, who has schizophrenia, had gone missing several times before but this time he had left without his medication and with only thin clothes on in freezing temperatures and snow storms.

Last week his parents said it was a “race against time” to find Matthew.

Chief Inspector Russ Proctor, who has led the investigation, said: “It is obviously a huge relief for his family, and thankfully the investigation has gone really well.”

A number of sightings of Matthew in the Ormskirk and Liverpool area were reported to police earlier this week, and they put up posters.

At around 4pm on Thursday Matthew saw a poster in Lord Street, and visited a mobile police station nearby.

He was transferred back to Burnley General Hospital.