The family of a man from North Tyneside who went missing more than 20 years ago have made an emotional appeal for information.
The plea comes as officers investigating the disappearance of Robert Scott Clive, known as ‘Scott’, reveal they have new evidence which suggests he was assaulted the night he went missing.
Scott, originally from Stranraer, was seen on CCTV shortly after 11pm on October 10, 2002, walking towards the Coronation Street area of North Shields.
New evidence has now come to light which suggests moments after this Scott was assaulted while on Coronation Street – and officers are again appealing for anyone who may have seen something suspicious that evening or know what happened to get in touch.
Scott’s family are also asking people to come forward.
“We are desperate for answers to end the heartbreak of not knowing what has happened,” they said.
“We will never give up or stop searching for answers as we need closure to end the years of pain we have endured for so long.
“We just want to know what happened to Scott.”
They added: “We would ask anyone who does have information about Scott’s disappearance to please come forward – no matter how small you think it may seem.
“You could hold the key to us finding out what happened to him and help bring some peace to our family.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who continue to support us through this extremely difficult time.”
Police are keeping an open mind as to the exact circumstances surrounding what happened to Scott.
Since he went missing, officers have reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and spoken to various witnesses as they look to piece together his movements.
Unconfirmed sightings in the early hours of the following day placed a man matching his description near the banks of the River Tyne.
However, his body has not been found.
As part of their investigations, in February this year, with the support of the current occupant who moved in after 2002, officers conducted searches at an address in Coronation Street where it was known Scott visited the evening he went missing.
Officers also made a renewed appeal to the public for assistance.
As a result of new information which came forward during the appeal, officers have evidence which suggests he was assaulted on the night he went missing.
Three people were subsequently arrested and later bailed pending further enquiries.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Atherton, who is leading on the case, said: “Our thoughts very much continue to be with Scott’s loved ones and we want to be able to provide them with the answers they deserve.
“We remain committed to finding out what happened to Scott and we continue to try to piece together his movements.
“Due to information which came forward during our most recent appeal, we have new evidence that suggests he was assaulted on the night he went missing.
“We would like to thank everyone who has supported the investigation so far and would again ask anyone who may have information about what happened to Scott to come forward. This includes if you saw any type of disturbance or suspicious activity in the area of Coronation Street on the night he went missing.
“No matter how insignificant you think the information you have to be, we would still urge you to come forward.”
Officers have set-up a dedicated webpage for people to be able to share information. People are asked to get in touch online at the following link: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/10NP020310B52-PO1
Alternatively, you can contact Northumbria Police by sending a DM on social media, using the live chat function on the website or by visiting: https://www.northumbria.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/ quoting reference NP-20240703-0398.
For people unable to contact the police online, they can call 101.
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