Grieving TV presenter 'missing'

Police today said they were trying to find TV presenter Mark Speight, who has gone missing.

The 42-year-old, from Enfield, north London, who is described as "vulnerable", has not been seen since yesterday, Scotland Yard said.

His disappearance comes six days after the inquest into the death of his fiancee, Natasha Collins, another presenter, who was found dead in the bath of the flat they were sharing after taking cocaine and sleeping tablets.

Collins, 31, was found with hot water burns covering about 60% of her body in the bath of the couple's home in St John's Wood, north-west London, on 3 January.

Westminster Coroner Dr Paul Knapman recorded a verdict of death by misadventure after noting that she had a "very significant" amount of cocaine in her body at the time of death.

A distraught Speight called the emergency services after waking that afternoon to discover her dead in the bath, wearing a cropped top, the inquest heard.

He told police the couple had been "partying" at home on their own and had taken cocaine and sleeping pills as well as drinking wine and vodka.

Speight was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and supplying Class A drugs, but last month Scotland Yard said he would not face any charges over the death.

He is known to have been staying with Collins' widowed mother Carmen.

She told in a newspaper interview yesterday how she hears Speight crying at night.

Mrs Collins said he turned up "broken" on her doorstep because he could not face going back to the flat he had shared with her daughter.

Scotland Yard said that Speight, of Norfolk Avenue, Enfield, was last seen at 9.30am yesterday when he was dropped off at Wood Green station, north London.

He was due to meet a friend at 3.30pm in Covent Garden, central London, but did not arrive.

He is described as about 6ft tall, slim, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

He was last seen wearing a brown suit jacket, dark jeans and a brown flat cap.

A Yard spokeswoman said police and Speight's friends and family were concerned for his welfare.

Speight, originally from Wolverhampton, is best known for the BBC children's art show SMart, which has run for more than 10 years.

In February he announced he was quitting the programme after his "tragic loss" left him unable to continue.

Speight shot to fame as the rubber-faced presenter of Children's ITV Saturday morning show Scratchy & Co. Collins starred alongside him on BBC children's show See It Saw It.

Anybody who has seen him is asked to call Enfield police on 020 8807 1212.