The family of an autistic man who has been missing for two months is fearing the worst.

Piers Hopson’s parents and sister are coming to terms with the fact they may never see him again after police announced they had called off their search.

The 35-year-old suffers from Asperger syndrome, meaning he can quickly get lost or distracted and cannot look after himself properly.

His sister, Abigail Gutteridge, 31, said at first they hoped he had been taken in and looked after by someone, but after two months they fear they may not see him again.

Piers has gone missing several times before after going out on his own and getting lost, but has always been picked up by the police who noticed he looked vulnerable.

At his home in Southwater Road, St Leonards, where he lived with one-to-one carers, he was encouraged to go to nearby shops on errands or for short walks on his own to allow him to enjoy some independence.

On January 25 he told staff he was going for a walk and would be back in two hours but never came back.

Police found CCTV footage showing him walking along Rock-a-Nore Road in Hastings at about 4.15pm.

His family offered a £10,000 reward for his safe return and directly appealed through The Argus, local television and the BBC's Missing Live programme.

Announcing the search for Piers was being scaled down, Detective Inspector Rob Morland said: "The case will not be closed down completely. It will be reviewed every six months by a detective inspector and any new lines of enquiry that come up in the meantime will be investigated.

“Our thoughts are with Piers's family and the fact that they still do not have closure.”

Anyone with information about Piers's whereabouts is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999.