Richard Morris: Police search for missing British diplomat

Richard Morris Image copyright Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Image caption Richard Morris is due to take up his new position of British High Commissioner to Fiji

A police search is under way for a missing British diplomat and former ambassador.

Richard Morris, 52, was last seen by his family when he went for a run in Bentley, near Farnham, Hampshire, at about 10:30 BST on Wednesday.

He was ambassador to Nepal from November 2015 to November 2019.

In October, Mr Morris was appointed the new British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji and is due to take up his new position in July.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not yet responded to a BBC request for comment.

Image copyright Hampshire Constabulary
Image caption Mr Morris was in his running clothes when he went missing on Wednesday

The father-of-three, who is originally from Worcestershire, is described as white, about 6ft tall, with greying hair and a beard, and has a port wine birth mark on his face, Hampshire Constabulary said.

He was last seen wearing a blue long-sleeved top with a half zip, black shorts and blue trainers.

Mr Morris has also worked as head of the Pacific department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, consul general in Sydney as well as director general of trade and investment in Australasia.