THE partner of a man wanted by police in connection with an £8,500 theft from a pub has pleaded for him to come home.

The Lancashire Telegraph reported on Saturday that police were investigating a theft from The Commercial Hotel in Accrington and wanted to speak to 52-year-old Phil Barlow, who is now believed to be in Thailand.

Now his partner Karen Kinley, 51, is calling for Mr Barlow, a duty manager at The Commercial Hotel, to return to Blackburn after travelling to Bangkok without warning.

Miss Kinley said she had no idea her partner of eight years would be going to Thailand and has not heard from him for over a week.

She said: “This was completely out of the blue, this is so out of character for him.

“Phil is as honest as the day is long.

“If he finds £1 on the pub floor he’ll try to find out who dropped it. If he found a handbag or purse he’ll do everything he can to find the owner.

“He’s 52 years old and he’s never been in trouble in his life. This past week has been horrible.

“I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I’ve just sat here waiting for a phone call or message.

“I want more than anything to get him home and get this sorted.”

Since his departure, she said she has tried everything she can to get in contact with her partner, including posting in a variety of social media groups and contacting Bangkok Police.

Miss Kinley said she noticed nothing unusual about her partner when he returned home from work on Saturday, October 28.

She said the last time she saw him was the next day when he said he was going to see his daughter, who lives ‘out of town’.

Miss Kinley said she ‘packed his suitcase and kissed him goodbye at the door’.

However, after trying to ring him several times without answer, Miss Kinley messaged Mr Barlow’s ex-partner on Facebook, who informed her she had no idea where Mr Barlow was.

She then reported him missing to the police.

Miss Kinley said she would not have been able to get through the last week without the support of her friends and family.

The couple originally met on Facebook before Mr Barlow ended up moving to Blackburn to live with Miss Kinley.

She said: “Me and Phil would never argue and we have never fallen out.

“If it wasn’t for my friends I don’t think I’d be here.

“I’ve been losing my hair with worry after what’s happened.

“My friends and family have both been brilliant. If it wasn’t for them I would have just been sitting here all alone.”

Miss Kinley said her partner had been working at The Commercial Hotel for around three months after transferring from another Wetherspoons pub, The Postal Order in Blackburn, where he had been working for almost 18 months.

She said if he was not working the couple would ‘always be together’ and she would even visit him to spend time with him if he was doing late shifts.

A police spokesman said: “We were called at 2.30pm on October 30 to reports of a theft from The Commercial Hotel, Accrington.

“It was reported that £8,500 was taken on October 28.

“We would like to speak to a 52-year-old man in connection with the incident.

“It is currently being treated as a theft by an employee.

“The investigation is ongoing but no arrests have been made so far.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log reference LC-20171030-0791.