Family's plea to kidnap gang
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The family of a building site manager feared kidnapped by an armed gang begged his captors today to let him g
Paul Brady, 44, a father-of-four, from Rochdale, Lancashire, has been missing for almost two months.
A masked gang of up to 10 men armed with metal poles snatched Mr Brady from Beaufort Road, Bacup, Lancashire, on the afternoon of August 1, police said.
Detectives believe the kidnapping is linked to "organised" drug gangs in Manchester.
Today, his mother, Mavis Brady, 66, and sister, Joanne Bowker, 42, urged anyone with information to come forward.
Ms Bowker made a direct appeal to the gang, saying: "Please phone us or the police. We want him back and we really miss him. His children want him back."
Mrs Brady said: "It has been hell for us over the last couple of weeks. We are not sleeping properly and not functioning. It is a nightmare. We are just waiting for that knock on the door."
Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, the officer leading the investigation, said a "well-organised criminal network" could be behind Mr Brady's disappearance.
He said: "We cannot rule out the possibility that it is drug-related. It was specific and targeted.
"The activity that he was getting up to before the kidnap and the people that we are interested in mean that we cannot rule that link out."
A man who was with Mr Brady told police he escaped the gang by running through a wooded area and a river.
The gang bundled Mr Brady into a car before fleeing the scene.
Detectives also appealed for a mystery caller who contacted the incident room to get back in touch.
Anyone with information is asked to call Burnley police station on 08451 253545 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.