Bill Sutherland is described as an experienced climber

Bill Sutherland from Tonbridge went missing in the Picos de Europa mountains climbing alone last Friday.

The 50-year-old is an experienced climber and was visiting northern Spain with a British mountaineering club.

On Thursday the Civil Guard mountain rescue unit said they would go on searching at least until the weekend.

The best hope is that he's slipped somewhere like under some snow or something of that kind and is still alive under that David Sutherland, missing man's brother

The Picos de Europa area is a national park popular with mountaineers.

Mr Sutherland, an IT expert, was in Spain with a group of about 30 climbers from the Gwydyr Mountain Club, which he joined when living in the Wirral on Merseyside.

He left their base in Potes to climb in nearby Fuente De, but has not been seen since.

Friends and family have called his mobile phone but received no answer.

The mountains are a national park area in the north of Spain

His brother David, travelled to Spain after hearing of the disappearance.

Speaking from Potes on Thursday he told the BBC: "There's no news except that the search will continue tomorrow and Saturday at the high level it's been at today, reducing after that.

"It's very difficult and snowy terrain that they are going across, they have to be roped together and there are lots of snow slips and that kind of thing.

"The best hope is that he's slipped somewhere like under some snow or something of that kind and is still alive under that."

Mark Hookway, a friend and member of the same Tonbridge athletics club as Mr Sutherland, said: "Although he's 50, he's fitter than I am.

"We can only hope for the best, because he is experienced and he knows what the weather can do, it can come in quite quickly in mountainous areas and he's encountered that before.

"All we can do is cross our fingers and hope."