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Actor and director, Kenneth Branagh lends his support to the search campaign for missing north Belfast man

Actor Kenneth Branagh has given his support to a search effort to help trace a missing north Belfast man, by posing with a T-shirt bearing the message `#Help Find Michael Cullen'
Actor Kenneth Branagh has given his support to a search effort to help trace a missing north Belfast man, by posing with a T-shirt bearing the message `#Help Find Michael Cullen'

ACTOR Sir Kenneth Branagh has become the latest famous face to lend his support to a search effort to try and find a missing north Belfast man.

The 57-year-old Dunkirk star, who was in Belfast this week to receive the Freedom of City, took time during his visit to pose with a T-shirt adorned with the message `#Help Find Michael Cullen'.

The Emmy-Award winning actor, who was raised in the York Road area of north Belfast, got behind the campaign a week after former world champion boxer Carl Frampton also showed his support during a press conference for an upcoming fight.

Michael Cullen, a research officer at Ulster University and award-winning beatboxer, was last seen by his family on January 9.

Since then, large crowds of volunteers have joined professional teams in the search effort, which initially focused on the Cave Hill area.

The Cullen family have also distributed flyers in the Lisburn Road and Boucher Road areas in the south of the city after a signal was picked up from Michael’s phone on the day of his disappearance.

The campaign has been widely shared on social media on the `HelpFindMichaelCullen’ page

Volunteers spent some time yesterday distributing flyers bearing Michael's image near the SSE Arena as thousands of people arrived for two performances of Strictly Come Dancing Live.

Michael's brother Danny said: "We are very grateful to Kenneth Branagh for helping to highlight our search for Michael.

"We are truly indebted to all of those who have lent us their support during this difficult time".