(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-04 17:01

BEIJING - A canoeist who vanished at sea more than five years ago and was presumed drowned turned up alive at a London police station, officers said as quoted by media reports Tuesday.

John Darwin, 56, was reported missing in March 2002 after he failed to appear at work.

A widespread search for the former prison officer was launched and the shattered remains of his canoe were later found washed up on a beach at Seaton Carew, northeast England.

But on Saturday, the father-of-two walked into West End Central police station in London and told officers "I think I am a missing person."

"The guy can't remember anything about what's happened or why he's come forward," inspector Helen Eustace at West End Central police station said.

"He has no memory at all. He has obviously been somewhere for the last five years and a lot of questions need answering... We have no account of what's happened in the last five years."

Police said Darwin was showing "no signs of illness" after a health check.

"This has been a long-running inquiry by Cleveland Police and officers from the inquiry team hope to speak to Mr. Darwin later today to establish his whereabouts during the last five-and-a-half years," said Detective Chief Inspector Paul Beddow of Cleveland Police.

Darwin's wife, Anne, had declared herself a widow six months after his disappearance and abruptly sold their family home six weeks ago and left the country.

Reports claimed that Darwin's bank account was active in 2005 and 2006 and that a John Darwin, using the family address near Hartlepool, applied for a credit card in March last year.