THE disappearance of David Guilfoyle "mystified" his friends, according to one of his oldest pals.

Gary O'Brien, 39, of Grange Street, Clayton-le-Moors, played pool with Mr Guilfoyle for the Hope and Anchor Pub in Whalley Road, Accrington.

He said that he was left so upset by his friend's disappearance in May last year that he had to give up playing pool.

Mr O'Brien, who knew Mr Guilfoyle for 15 years, said: "We were all so shocked by what happened.

"I couldn't play pool anymore after he died, I couldn't believe what had happened. Pool was Dave's big love and it was really upsetting to play."

Mr O'Brien, who attended every day of the three-week trial, said all of his friends and family were "convinced" that he had died, despite Mr Guilfoyle's body never being found.

He said: "The only thing we want now is to find the body so he can be buried and laid to rest.

"It is a terrible trauma for everyone that we have never found his body."

He said that despite rumours that Mr Guilfoyle had a lot of enemies due to his business interests he was a popular man and not a "troublemaker."

He said: "Dave was just making a living for himself. I don't know anyone who had a bad thing to say about him."