Depressed ABN Amro banker vanishes with two shotguns

Police this afternoon issued an urgent appeal to trace Huibert Boumeester, 49, a wealthy financier with homes in London and Scotland.

They said they were extremely concerned for his welfare and urged anyone who sees him to call 999.

Police say Mr Boumeester, a father of two, was known to have been depressed. Recent records show he was on the board of the Dutch banking group ABN Amro and a number of other City firms. In 2007 he picked up a million euro bonus.

His bank was the subject of the disastrous takeover by the Royal Bank of Scotland which plunged RBS and its chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin into crisis.

Police in Westminster said Mr Boumeester was last seen in London on Sunday night. He had been due to attend a meeting with a headhunting agency in the City on Monday morning but did not turn up.

The company contacted his PA who then alerted police when she could not trace him by Monday evening. Officers say they have been to Mr Boumeester's homes in Clapham and Victoria and what is described as an estate in Scotland but they can find no trace of him.

Mr Boumeester is the legal owner of six guns including shotguns and rifles. Police found four of the weapons at his homes in Scotland and London but two shotguns are missing.

Detective Inspector Mick Standing said: "We are seriously concerned for the safety of Mr Boumeester.

"We are extremely keen to locate him as soon as possible to make sure that he is well. There is particular concern because he is a registered firearms keeper and we cannot account for two of the firearms he owns.

"I would emphasise that we are concerned for his safety. The issue is not about the public's safety."

Police urged members of the public not to approach Mr Boumeester. He is believed to be driving his blue 56-reg Range Rover.

Company records show that Mr Boumeester earned a £440,000 salary at ABN but there was speculation his pay could have risen to £600,000 in 2007.

He was appointed to the board of Amro in 2006 after working his way up through the company which he joined as a management trainee in 1987.

His CV reveals a glittering career with a series of high powered positions including head of finance positions in Europe, Asia and Singapore.

The financier, who is said to be estranged from his wife, is a director of three charities.

RBS led a consortium of banks which took over ABN Amro in 2007. The £50 billion price tag became the biggest ever banking takeover in Europe.

But the deal was struck weeks before the global credit crunch and the banks' share prices collapsed.