THE search for a leading Scottish botanist missing for nearly six weeks in the Vietnamese jungle while on plant-hunting expedition has been hampered by freak snowfalls.

Jamie Taggart, 48, from Cove, who is head of the Linn Botanic Garden in Dunbartonshire - founded by his father Dr Jim Taggart in 1971 - was last seen on October 31 leaving his guest house, heading towards an area overlooked by the highest peak in Indochina, the 10,312ft Mount Fansipan.

He had been planning to chronicle plants at high altitude on his second visit to the area in two years. Up to a foot of snow covered the North Vietnamese peaks which is expected to melt quickly and create further problems for search parties. Mr Taggart was identified by traders at the road-end where he was dropped off.

Mr Taggart's friend Ian Sinclair, 60, of Crieff, Perthshire, has been co-ordinating the search from this country while teams have been scouring Hoang Lien National Park in the Sapa district of the Lao Cai Province.

He added: "The traders confirmed the direction he headed off on. A meeting is being arranged with the vice-director of the National Park Authorities. This meeting is to involve greatly expanding the search party and involve the forest rangers and botanical workers."