Family say they cannot contact explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Family and friends of Sir Ranulph Fiennes say they have been unable to visit or contact the 82-year-old explorer for months. Arabella Pepper, the younger sister of his late first wife, Ginny, told BBC Newsnight she had not seen him for more than a year and did not know where he was. [1]

Cheshire Police say Fiennes is living in an appropriate setting with suitable care and professional oversight. Detective Chief Superintendent Claire Jesson said on Monday that police and partner agencies had identified no immediate safeguarding concerns. [3]

Fiennes’s stepson, Alex Millington-Cotes, told Newsnight he wanted power of attorney removed from his mother, Fiennes’s second wife Louise Millington-Cotes, and given to people he believed would act in the explorer’s best interests. The BBC said she had not immediately responded to its request for comment. [1]