Friends of a popular gym worker and rugby player are becoming increasingly worried about his safety, more than a week after he went missing.

South African Donavan van Lill, pictured below, has "simply vanished off the face of the Earth" after he did not turn up for work last Wednesday morning.

The 29 year old works at The Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham, and plays rugby for Corsham RFC.

His worried friends have put up hundreds of posters around towns in Wiltshire, but they said as the days go by they are increasingly worried about him.

Mr van Lill, known by people in Chippenham as "Don", left his British and South African passports, his car keys and car and wallet with bank cards at his home in Chippenham, but may well have taken some sort of bag.

His friends and work colleagues said it was "completely out of character" for him to disappear without a trace, and they said they fear something untoward has happened to him.

Gary Barber is one of dozens of people who have put their lives on hold to look for him, and has even searched woods near Don's home in Pewsham.

He said: "We are all just extremely worried about him. Everyone has put a lot of thought into what might have happened, and every time we can only think that something bad is going on.

"He's not the sort of person by any means to suddenly up and leave his job, his friends and his daughter, who he dotes on, without saying anything to anyone. But in the unlikely event that he did do that, he wouldn't leave his passports, his car, his keys and his money.

"We've had to think about the possibility of suicide, of course, but although he had trials and tribulations in his life like anyone else, he was certainly not the sort of person who would let those get on top of him that much."

His bosses at The Olympiad reported him missing on Thursday after he failed to show for work two days running.

They said he was "the most reliable" worker, and would never disappear without calling in first.

Wiltshire police said they are looking for Don, and have checked CCTV at the town's railway station, as well as speaking to friends, including his Slovakian girlfriend who is currently on holiday in Egypt.

"The last person we have spoken to who had seen him was the guy he shares a house with, and Don was asleep in bed when he left for work that day," added Gary.

"We have been around his house and worked out that he'd be wearing the green South African Springbok fleece jacket he always wears, trainers, jeans and a T-shirt. It doesn't look like he meant to go anywhere, because if you were walking out on your life, you'd take your wallet with you, surely.

"We just want as many people to know about Don as possible, and to spread his picture far and wide so that if he is somewhere and sees it, even if he doesn't want to come back to Chippenham for whatever reason, he'll at least see that everyone here is really anxious about him, and he can get in touch just to say he's OK."

Four thousand people have joined a Facebook group dedicated to the search for Don.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845 4087000.