Lee Horton vanished on Wednesday, March 12. The last contact with him was around midday on Tuesday, March 11.
The search for a man who went missing after boarding a train home is due to enter its second week as mystery surrounding his disappearance continues.
Lee Horton vanished on Wednesday, March 12. The last contact with him was around midday on Tuesday, March 11.
The 36-year-old contacted his family last Tuesday saying he was in Bristol and would be catching a train home. However, it didn’t arrive back. As the Mirror reports, Lee said he had paid for a ticket to his home station, Worcester, in cash, but now police have established that he did not embark the train there.
Lee is described as being 5ft 11ins tall and white with short dark brown hair and a beard and a distinguishing birth mark on his right arm. He was wearing a blue jacket, dark-coloured jeans and was carrying a large black rucksack with red tags on it.
All lines of enquiry are being followed up, including focused CCTV checks and enquiries with hotels. Lee’s worried family travelled to Bristol and met with senior investigating officers last week on Friday, March 14.
They say his visit to Bristol is not unusual, as he likes to visit new places, but that it’s out of character for him not to be in contact.
Now, in the latest twist, detailed CCTV enquiries revealed that he did in fact leave Bristol and travelled to Gloucester. He had tried to book into a hotel in Bristol on Tuesday morning but they would not accept cash.
Because financial and phone checks show no activity since midday on 11 March, officers have been carrying out painstaking and time-consuming CCTV checks. In a bid to find Lee, officers have viewed footage from almost 100 cameras to track Lee from Upper Maudlin Street back to Bristol Temple Meads station.
Detectives have now confirmed that he paid cash for a ticket to Worcester and caught a train at around 2.40pm on Tuesday, March 11. Officers travelled to Worcester Shrub Hill station and established he did not leave the train there.
Since then detectives have been checking each station on the route and have found Lee on CCTV leaving the train at Gloucester, and leaving Gloucester station at 3.33pm on 11 March. The latest sighting is of him leaving ASDA Gloucester and walking towards Station Road at 3.46pm.
More than 34 officers have been involved in the search for Lee so far, with their enquiries including checking with hotels, bus companies and speaking with Lee’s family, friends and colleagues as well as liaising with colleagues in British Transport Police and West Mercia Police.
Detective Inspector Tim Mullins said: “Throughout this investigation we have kept an open mind and followed up every potential sighting and piece of information.
“Carrying out CCTV enquiries is challenging work. In many cases only certain staff at premises with private CCTV can access the system, while others require a formal application to a head office, adding delays to the process.
“We can now be confident that Lee travelled out of Bristol by train as planned, but remain concerned for his welfare as he has yet to return home or contact his family. We will work with our colleagues in Gloucestershire Police to progress the enquiry.”
If you know where Lee is now, please call 999, or ring 101 with any other information. Avon and Somerset Police reference 5225073912.
People are also being asked to check dashcam, CCTV and other footage for sightings. Police would also like the public to alert them if they find the large black rucksack with red tags matching Lee’s description.
It is also recommended to check outbuildings in case Lee sought shelter.