An 84-year-old mother has sent out a desperate plea to find out if her missing son, Colin Fawbert, is alive.

Mr Fawbert, 47, has not been seen since leaving his Brighton flat last September.

The Benefits Agency, which could reveal whether he has been claiming his weekly income support cheques, is unable to inform the family because of the Data Protection Act.

Staff say they can only open their files to police if a criminal offence has been committed.

Mr Fawbert was discovered missing when a letting agency tried to contact him at his home in Beaconsfield Road.

His half-sister, Ann Geal, who lives in Worthing, said: "They contacted my mother when they got no reply.

"We went to his flat and it was as if he had just nipped out.

"A newspaper was open at the TV page in the lounge - that's how we know he left in September."

Mr Fawbert had distanced himself from his 84-year-old mother, Kathleen, and the rest of his family, leaving for Thailand in his teens, where he later joined the Hare Krishna movement.

Before he left for Thailand, a group of friends had been killed in a car crash and his mother had married and moved to Kenya.

When he returned to Brighton 15 years ago he was treated for heroin addiction.

He was unable to work because of his condition.

Mrs Geal said: "My mother is really, really worried about him.

"I've done as much as I can to try to find him, talking to his old friends and the police.

"We went through an old address book he left in the flat but there's no sign of him.

"The police officer went through all of the missing persons registers but couldn't find anyone fitting his description.

"She said we could find out if he is still alive if he is still drawing his benefits but the agency won't tell us unless there's proof there's been a criminal offence.

"We don't know whether there has been until we found out if he's still alive.

"He just seems to have disappeared but I don't believe that can happen to someone.

"I need to find out for my mother's peace of mind.

"He has always been allowed to live how he wanted to live but we're desperate for news."

A police spokeswoman said: "We cannot look at Benefits Agency records unless a crime has been committed and we have a definite reason to."