A MOTHER has made an emotional appeal to her missing son to get in touch as concerns grow over his welfare.

Steven Dyson, aged 22, was last seen at 9am on January 1 after leaving a New Year’s Eve Party in St Andrew’s Close in Ramsbottom.

Police believe he was assaulted at the party and are concerned he could be seriously injured. A 21-year-old man has been arrested and remains in police custody for questioning.

It is believed Mr Dyson started the 25-minute walk to his home in Beechwood Avenue after being assaulted.

Police have carried out extensive searches of Nuttall Park and an underwater unit was also expected to investigate the River Irwell today.

Mr Dyson lives with his mother, Lorraine Roach, and she is appealing to her son, or anyone who was at the party or could have seen him walking home to get in touch.

She said: “It has been horrendous, it is just mental torture.

“Anyone who knows anything just let the police know. They have to stop thinking about themselves and starting thinking about Steven and his family.

“I think that he might be somewhere and he is too scared to come home because of everything. I just don’t care about that. I just want him to come home. I just want him to be safe.

“Steven, please just come home.”

Mrs Roach last saw her son at 10.30pm on New Year’s Eve when he left his home to get a taxi to Ramsbottom with a friend.

Mrs Roach said: “He shouted out ‘happy New Year, we’re off’. I just thought he would text me. I didn’t hear from him again.”

Mr Dyson first went to the Grey Mare pub, in Bolton Road, and Longsight Service Station at around 3am before the last sighting of him six hours later.

Mrs Roach believes someone at the party knows more than they are letting on and urged them to talk to police.

She said: “Some are saying one thing and some are saying another. Some of them are saying it was only an argument.

“They need to grow up and start telling police exactly what happened.

“If they had told the truth right at the start then the searches could have started sooner, the police can only go on what they have been told.

“There was trouble at the party and someone knows what has gone on.”

Mrs Roach believes the altercation was about her son’s sexuality.

On New Year’s Day Mrs Roach, who works at Homespares in Bolton, didn’t check on her son as he usually sleeps in late after a night out.

At around 3.30pm on New Year’s Day she went in his room and realised he wasn’t home so posted on Facebook.

A friend who Mr Dyson had been out with got in touch and said that he had left the party at around 8.30am.

She said the disappearance is very out of character and he has lived in the house in Ramsbottom since he was two years old and knows the area.

Concern grows over missing Steven Dyson as police search park

The 53-year-old said: “He knows the area really well. We have walked the dog down there many times and he has friends who live up there and he knows it well. He is not going to get lost.

“If he is in trouble he comes home. He doesn’t go out that much.

“Without a drink he is very quiet. When he has a drink he is the life and soul of the party. He will talk to anyone.

“He is not aggressive at all. He would never ever go out somewhere and start a fight. He would never go looking for trouble.”

Mr Dyson works in Click and Collect at House of Fraser in Manchester and is passionate about fashion.

Mrs Roach said he would always call work and let them know he was coming in.

Before he disappeared he was saving up for his own house and also planning a holiday.

The community has rallied round to try and find him and missing posters have been put up around Ramsbottom. Social media appeals have been shared thousands of times.

Mountain rescue teams were out into the night on Tuesday searching and returned to the area with dogs yesterday.

The police helicopter was also due to join the search efforts today.

Police have a dedicated team of officers on the investigation into the disappearance and specially trained officers have been supporting the family.

Officers said Mr Dyson’s phone is not active and money has not been drawn out of his bank account since the disappearance.

It is believed he was wearing a leather jacket with a grey top, black skinny jeans and grey boots. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 8157 or 101, quoting reference MP/18/0112464. Reports can also be made anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.