A MISSING man turned up at his daughter's East Lancashire home unaware that he had sparked off a major search in the Scottish Highlands.

Police called off the £10,000 rescue mission after Miles Rowlinson, 40, was found safe and well at his daughter's home in Rawtenstall.

Northern Police Force in Scotland had mounted the hunt after Mr Rowlinson's car was found abandoned on its roof in a ravine between the Sutherland villages of Helmsdale and Melvich in the far north of Scotland on Saturday. Mr Rowlinson, from Sutherland, was planning to visit his daughter, Carly, at her home in Alder Street when he was involved in an accident. His car is believed to have hit a patch of ice and tumbled 40 feet down a ravine. But instead of telling the police, Mr Rowlinson wandered to the nearest railway station and completed the journey to Lancashire by train.

He said he was dazed and confused and knew nothing about the major police operation in Scotland.

Worried police used a helicopter, two mountain rescue teams and sniffer dogs in a bid to trace the missing man.

Mr Rowlinson, who travelled back home by coach yesterday, said: "I am sorry for any trouble that I have caused. I hit black ice and careered off the road, the car rolled over several times and despite the fact I was not visibly injured, I was stunned. "I never even thought about alerting the emergency services, I just made my way to the station and headed south on the train."

He added: "I cannot remember that much about the incident. I did not think that a search would be launched for me."

A spokesman for Northern Police said: "It certainly would have helped he had just phoned us to let us know what happened to save all the bother of calling out the emergency services."

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