Police last night insisted they had no plans to scale down the search for missing Fraserburgh man Shaun Ritchie.
Officers said they – and Mr Ritchie’s family – are refusing to give up hope of finding him alive.
It comes as detectives reissued their appeal for members of the public to search their sheds and garages for any trace of the 20-year-old.
More than 200 specialist search officers have been drafted into to comb the countryside where Mr Ritchie was last seen near Strichen.
But as the operation enters its tenth day, the force are growing increasingly concerned for Mr Ritchie’s wellbeing.
Inspector Alan Brown, of the community policing team in Fraserburgh, said: “We have carried out extensive searches in open areas, woodland and waterways in a bid to trace Shaun and we are continuing today with assistance from search dogs and specialist search officers.
“Shaun was last seen after he had been for a night out on Friday, October 31, and we are becoming increasingly concerned for his wellbeing.
“It is possible that he tried to seek shelter and we would again appeal to members of the public to check their sheds and outbuildings.”
Insp Brown urged anyone with information about Mr Ritchie’s whereabouts to come forward immediately.
The operation – which has involved a police helicopter, the four mountain rescue teams, and the dive and marine Unit – has involved nearly 1,000 man hours of search work in the Greenburn area.
A police spokesman said: “The size of the operation is because we are searching a rural area, and we don’t know exactly where Shaun is within that. That dictates the scale of the operation.
“We’re not giving up hope, neither are his family, but we are increasingly concerned as it was more than a week ago he was last seen.”
When asked if the search for Mr Ritchie would be scaled down, the spokesman responded: “At this stage we wouldn’t be entertaining that idea.”
Last week, officers found some of the clothes Mr Ritchie was wearing when he disappeared.
The CID team involved with the case – who have ruled out criminal activity at this time – believe Mr Ritchie may have developed hypothermia and removed his clothes when disorientated.