Missing charity walker is found safe at home

A ROUND-the-world charity walker is in hot water with supporters after “disappearing” for two months – and then turning up at home.

James Thomas left Edinburgh in January to embark on a 
£1 million fundraising walk in aid of leading children’s charity Unicef. After months of regular Facebook and Twitter updates, Mr Thomas, 30, apparently disappeared after reaching Istanbul.

Unicef said it was “hugely concerned” for the safety of the Napier University graduate and friends reported him missing to Turkish police. But fear turned to fury after the photographer was found not only safe and well – but also back in his native Ireland.

He was said to have been deported from Turkey for not having the correct paperwork to travel through the Middle East.

Mr Thomas, from Leith, sold all his belongings to fund the two-year trek. During the stage through Europe, he appeared in several newspapers and met the Irish ambassador in Budapest. His father joined him for the last leg to Istanbul, by which time followers had donated about £4,000 directly to Unicef.

After regular, detailed updates on social media his last known tweet, on 1 August, stated: “After walking over 4,000km I’ve arrived in Istanbul and so have reached the edge of Europe.”

On 22 September, Stefan Maksimovic posted: “PLEASE if you find a web connection let us know you are OK! We are genuinely worried.” But then came a tweet from another friend saying he had been deported.

When his family were asked to comment, his brother, Caoimhin O’Connor, responded: “I’ve been on to James and he’s safe and well. Thanks for your concern. He’ll be online shortly.”