Missing Scots cyclist ‘may have eaten deadly mushrooms’

A Scots cyclist missing in France may have eaten a ‘potentially lethal’ mushroom while foraging for food.

Steven Harper, who earlier had his bike and bank card stolen, has not made contact with friends and family since November 23.

He was attempting to cycle from Dundee to India and his last known location was near the French border with Monaco, where his brother Dale believes he spent the night on a hill.

In a social media post entitled ‘Please help me find my little brother’, Mr Harper, from Dundee, wrote: ‘From what we know so far, Steven had his bike and bank card stolen along with his passport in early November.

‘His last message on November 23 said he had ingested a potentially lethal mushroom while foraging for food and we have not heard from him since. This has only come to my attention in the last 24 hours and I’ve been too distraught to write this.’

Mr Harper has travelled to the French city of Nice in an effort to try to trace his brother.

Steven, 38, posted a series of picturesque photos on social media before he disappeared.

He also uploaded videos of him by a campfire and enjoying some fruit he had foraged. In one of the videos, he holds an apple and says: ‘It’s the most delicious apple I have had in my entire life.’

His last post was ‘geotagged’ to a hilltop overlooking Roquebrune-Cap-Martin between Monaco and the town of Menton on the French Riviera.

Steven Harper may have eaten ‘lethal’ mushrooms like the Death Cap

Mr Harper, 40, who has not seen his brother since he left Dundee in 2022, said Steven’s sister-in-law raised the alarm when she received a message saying he felt unwell after he boiled and ate mushrooms he had found.

He told the BBC: ‘Steven said he had been throwing up but he felt better. But it was radio silence from then. He had almost everything taken from him in Nice. It’s not unusual not to see Steven for long periods, but he had an itinerary and gives pretty regular updates on his movements.’

It is believed he still had a sleeping bag and a few other personal items with him.

Mr Harper said the police in France, Italy and Monaco were now involved. The brothers’ mother, Angela Bear, posted a Facebook appeal on Missing

People Scotland in an effort to trace her son.

The Foreign Office said last night: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man and are in contact with the local authorities.’