A SEARCH operation was launched in Robin Hood's Bay late on Monday night after a man failed to return to his holiday accommodation.

The man, who was 50 and from Hertfordshire, had been staying in Fylingthorpe but went off on his own at 9.30am and had not been seen since.

He had been walking towards 'Bay from Boggle Hole when he went missing and his friends were concerned for hADVERTISEMENTis safety as the man suffers from a heart condition.

Police were alerted at 11pm on Monday and carried out searches in Fylingthorpe, Bay and railway stations up the Esk Valley.

And at 2am Whitby Coastguard joined in the search with four coastguards scouring the area for any sign of the man.

He had been speaking to Humber Coastguard's control room and when he saw the blue flashing lights from Whitby Coastguard's vehicle, they were able to pinpoint exactly where he was.

He was found on the beach at North Cheek just over a mile from Boggle Hole towards Whitby at around 2.45am. An ambulance were called to the bottom of 'Bay bank and the man, who was breathless and suffering from slight hypothermia, was taken to Scarborough Hospital.

A spokesman for Whitby Coastguard said if they had not found the man so promptly with the tide coming in, they may have had to call out the lifeboat and a rescue helicopter.