Police in Germany have started searching rivers and canals in a bid to find a Scotsman who is missing in Hamburg.

Officers also say that they have been using search dogs and constantly checking with local hospitals and taxi companies in a bid to trace Liam Colgan who has been missing since the early hours of Saturday morning.

The 29-year-old, from Holm Mills, Inverness, travelled to the German city with 18 friends for his brother's stag do but became separated from the group while on a night out.

Postman Liam, who is due to be best man at the wedding in three weeks time, was last seen at around 1.30am on Saturday morning leaving a bar in the Reeperbahn area.

Hamburg Police spokesman Ulf Wundrack confirmed to STV News that the force have teams searching the Elbe river and Hamburg's many canals as efforts to find Mr Colgan continue.

They will also be going public with a picture of Liam in a bid to get more witnesses to come forward.

Mr Wundrack said: "We are looking into all possibilities.

"It is not normal for people to disappear in Hamburg but the fact that Mr Colgan had been drinking and doesn't know his way about the city makes this a difficult situation.

"We have been using search dogs and constantly checking with hospitals and taxi companies in case they have seen him.

"We now have teams searching Hamburg's canals and the Elbe River."

Liam's brother and father have remained in Hamburg along with a few others to continue the search for the Dundee United supporter, while friends at home have been helping by contacting hospitals in the city.

Club captain Willo Flood urged him to come home.

His friend Alan Pearson, who was also on the trip, say the disappearance is completely out of character.

Speaking to STV News he said: "There's no way you can imagine him doing this.

"When we realised he wasn't in his room the next morning we were immediately concerned.

"When he didn't turn up for the activities we knew there was something wrong."