Police investigating the disappearance of Dale Watene from Otautau last month say they now hold grave concerns for his safety.

The 40-year-old was last seen on Thursday, April 16, and is described as being of thin build and 183cm tall.

Police are undertaking an examination of the Otautau address where he was last known to be.

He had also been using a blue 1995 Isuzu SUV vehicle at the time, which police located on April 18 at Holt Park in Otautau.

Given increasing concerns for Mr Watene, police are very interested in any information which may relate to his whereabouts, and continue to assess all information received. They are working closely with Mr Watene’s family, who hold the same concerns for him.

If you can help, please contact Detective Christopher Lucy on (03) 211 0400, or alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

At this stage, police have found no link between Mr Watene’s disappearance and a recent suspicious fire in the Western Southland area.