Body of missing man found in canal

Greater Manchester Police issued a statement on Monday morning saying, “The body of 46-year-old Mervyn Craig, who was reported missing, has sadly been found in a canal near to Seven Stars Bridge, off Wallgate, in Wigan.”
Mr Craig had been missing for several weeks.

The grandfather of three, who was insulin dependent, recently moved to the Wigan area from Northern Ireland.

He left the Wigan home of a woman he had befriended online and was last seen at a motor shop on February 8.

The father-of-four had told his family he was going to the greater Manchester area for a job on a building site.

His family had over the past few weeks, issued a number of appeals hoping for his safe return while others organised search parties.

The manual labourer was last seen at the Arnold Clark Motorstore on Wallgate, Wigan.

Mr Craig left his home in Lisburn on January 28.

His family said he took a flight from Belfast International Airport to Manchester and told his family that he would be back home in a month.

He was father of four Samantha (29), Dwayne (24), Chloe (21) and Ryan (20). He was also grandfather to Madison (7), Bethany (3) and Ethan, (15 months).

As part of their search in locating Mr Craig Detective Inspector Martin Reddington said Greater Manchester Police had utilised ‘significant resources’ - including officers on the ground and an underwater search team.