A SEARCH is still continuing for a Russian sailor who is feared dead after going missing on Christmas Eve.

A SEARCH is still continuing for a Russian sailor who is feared dead after going missing on Christmas Eve.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk police confirmed they are continuing to look for Alexey Dorofeev.

The 36-year-old disappeared from Dutch registered ship Daniel K, which was moored at Ipswich Port in Cliff Quay on Christmas Eve.

Although divers from Rock Barracks Airfield in Woodbridge are in the area today they are carrying out a training exercise and are not helping officers with their enquiries.

However a spokeswoman for Suffolk police said they would be using a diving team from another force - although a date had not yet been set.

“The divers from Rock Barracks will not be helping us today,” she said. “However I can confirm we will be using another force to carry out a dive as soon as possible.”

Mr Dorofeev, who was not reported missing until noon on Boxing Day, was last seen on the quayside at about 10pm and had earlier gone ashore with two crew members to socialise.

Crew members presumed he had gone into Ipswich but the captain raised the alarm when he failed to return after two days.

It is not believed that he had any possessions with him as his mobile phone, laptop and ID/passport were all left in his cabin on the ship.

The police helicopter, the Coastguard, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and police have all conducted searches of the area, including the shoreline from the quay to the Orwell Bridge, the quayside and surrounding wasteland.

The ship's crew has also been spoken to via an interpreter, CCTV has been checked and police have spoken to staff at the Brewery Tap and the Ship Launch Inn where he was known to have visited on Christmas Eve.

However, so far all enquiries and searches have not proved to be successful.

Mr Dorofeev is described as white, medium build and with cropped black hair. He was wearing a dark coloured long sleeved coat and dark coloured blue jeans when he was last seen.

Officers are asking him or anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts to contact the duty inspector at Ipswich Police Station on 01473 613500.