The father of a missing Glenrothes man says he is playing a waiting game after appealing for a new police force to investigate his son’s disappearance.
Allan Bryant has submitted a petition to Scotland’s Justice Minister Michael Matheson, calling for him to appoint a new force more than four years after his son Allan Jr was last seen alive.
Claiming that basic mistakes have been made by Fife-based officers, he has also sent his appeal, backed with 5,000 signatures from the public, to Iain Livingstone, the deputy chief constable of Police Scotland.
With Police Scotland having acknowledged receipt of the document, Mr Bryant claims this latest move has come as a last resort.
“We don’t know what this is going to bring but it is going to be stressful,” he said.
“If the police had done its job properly and collected CCTV earlier then it could have made a huge difference.
“It could have jogged somebody’s memory and taken things forward.
“They have failed Allan the whole time.”
Allan Jr was 23 when he disappeared after a night out with friends on November 3 2013.
High-profile appeals have been made by both his family and the police, while searches have been conducted throughout the town and across Fife.
However, there remains no trace of Allan Jr, who would now be 27, with his father having stated on several occasions his belief that his son is dead.
Mr Bryant initially raised his concerns about the police investigation just one week after Allan Jr disappeared when a police incident van was not able to attend Styx nightclub.
He was also critical of the delay in releasing CCTV of Allan Jr’s last known movements as he left the nightspot, a process that took seven months.
Police Scotland has defended its handling of the investigation — the largest missing person search in Fife ’s history — with a spokesperson saying: “The major investigation team has been assisted by numerous specialists, and we continue to assess, evaluate and action any new information which comes in that might assist our investigation.
However, Mr Bryant added: “The fact that we’re at this stage shows how little faith we have in the police.
“This is a new direction that we are having to take but the next few weeks are going to be a waiting game.”
