A walker feared lost on Ben Nevis has been found safe and well, at his home in Hertfordshire.

The discovery of an abandoned rucksack full of alcohol and reports of a man acting in a ‘confused and disoriented’ way sparked a major search over the Easter weekend. But painstaking tracing of the owner’s actions, using receipts and CCTV recordings, led to his discovery 500 miles (800km) away in the South of England.

Ben Nevis 

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, an RAF helicopter and police dog handlers started searching for the man, who has not been identified, on Saturday, after the rucksack was found, prompting fears for his mental state.

Strong winds and sub-zero temperatures on the Ben added to the urgency of the search.

Along with the contents of the pack, a number of receipts from shops in Fort William was found. One report of the man’s actions on the Ben Nevis tourist track put him in his fifties, but another witness told police he was a young man.

CCTV footage from shops in Fort William was checked and, using information from the receipts in the abandoned rucksack, he was traced to his home, and the rescue teams were stood down.