THE family of missing Jack O'Sullivan has hired private search dog teams that have identified a renewed 'area of interest'.

Jack's mum Catherine O'Sullivan says she has been forced to take matters into her own hands as she claims cops have not done enough to hunt for her son.

The 23-year-old vanished without trace after being last seen at 3.15am on Saturday March 2 in the area of Brunel Lock Road/Brunel Way, in Bristol.

Catherine said the family had enlisted the services of a specialist dog team who are retracing the areas from where he was last seen to the four miles back to the family home.

And she said a report had been filed after three dogs all got 'agitated' at one location on the A370 bypass.

Avon and Somerset Police said the searches in the area are currently ongoing.

Catherine, 52, said: "What we did ourselves a couple of weeks ago is we got in touch with specialist search dog teams.

"They have visited Bristol now three times - we put in a plan based on where Jack was last seen with the limited amount of information we have got from police.

"It has been really difficult getting them to share information and we did not want to waste time going over the same areas.

“But police would not tell us where they had looked so we started from scratch.

"The dog teams have searched logical areas on Jack's route home. An area was identified during the search. It was an area of concern and the dogs were a bit agitated. We went to the police with the information.

"The team we are using are accredited and police use them.”

Catherine said the area was between where Jack was last seen on the bridge and the family home on the A370 bypass.

She added: "It is one route home that Jack potentially could have tried to walk.

“My suggestion on the first day was police go and search that area - but they were just convinced he did not get that far.

"I have suggested throwing myself in a bush just to raise awareness.

"Three police dogs all indicated an area.

“The search team said it wouldn't be enough to immediately plough in and tear apart - but the suggestion was to go in there and look - it could be an item of clothing.”

Avon and Somerset Police said the search on the A370 was ongoing and that since Jack's disappearance, more than 20 different teams and departments have been involved in the investigation.

A spokesperson said more than 100 hours of CCTV have been reviewed, 200 hours of searches on the river and the surrounding banks, mounted police searches from Bristol city centre to Flax Bourton, 40 land searches, and 16 drone deployments.

The force says it has received almost 100 calls from the public with possible sightings, and eight media appeals have been issued.

Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: "Our staff and officers remain committed to doing everything we can to find Jack and we do not underestimate what a distressing time this has been, and continues to be, for his family.

"When I look at missing persons investigations [in Avon and Somerset] over the last year, we've had around 5 and a half thousand.

"Missing people are somebody's loved ones, they're somebody's family, and we don't close the door on that."