Police have launched an appeal to trace a missing businessman – on the day he failed to turn up to court where he was convicted in his absence of child sex offences.

Cleveland Police said: “Urgent appeal to trace missing Mark Tilley, 60, from Guisborough. He is 5ft’5-6” tall, slim and last seen wearing Crocs, black tracksuit bottoms and a grey hooded top.

"He may be in a black Mercedes c180 and may have headed to the North Yorkshire area.

"The registration of the vehicle is M777 MYT. Officers are extremely concerned for his welfare and would ask anyone who may know of his whereabouts or anyone who may have sighted the vehicle heading into the south of Cleveland or the North Yorkshire area to contact them as a matter of urgency on 101, quoting incident number 030311.”

The Tees Gazette was at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday for the jury to return a guilty verdict in Tilley’s trial, but the court was told that he was not in the dock and had gone missing.

He was convicted of six charges of raping and assaulting a girl under the age of 14 in the 1990s.

The judge told the court that Tilley was seen leaving his home in Guisborough at 8.30am, and that his car was last seen in the North York Moors National Park. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Mark Tilley: Missing Yorkshire company director 'last seen heading into North York Moors' on day he was found guilty of child sex crimes