Residents of the Wellington suburb of Kilbirnie are urged to check their properties for any signs of a local man who has been missing for nearly a week.

Aiken Hakes, 33, was last seen by family and friends on Tuesday.

Police search and rescue personnel searched for Hakes on Sunday and will continue on Monday.

He is about 174cm tall, stocky with blue eyes and has tattoos on his right arm.

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* Concern for Wellington man missing from his home

His sister, Shanassey Clark, described her brother as “much loved”. He had “a lot of friends who cared a lot about him,” she said.

“We’re lost not knowing where he is,” Clark said.

Hakes previously represented New Zealand in croquet, having taken up the sport in Wairarapa, where he grew up. It gave her “purpose in life,” she said.

He was nominated for Sportsman of the Year at the 55th Halberg Awards in 2017 and in 2020 won his second New Zealand Open Croquet Championship title.

Other nominees included Tom Walsh, Kane Williamson, Beauden Barrett and Brendon Hartley.

“Croquet is my thing, I’ve been playing since I was 11,” he said in 2016.

Clark said his brother suffered from mental health issues and took long walks and hikes to clear his head, but it was not normal for him not to contact friends or family during this time.

“This is different. No one has heard from him or seen him for five or six days now – it’s a totally different situation,” she said.

• Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 105 and quote case number 220708/2393.