The loved ones of an Angus man who vanished 12 years ago have refused to give up hope after a cold case review drew a further blank.
Iain Mowatt, who is now 44, has not been seen since he was reported missing in 2007 and his family has been trapped in a living nightmare as they continue to search.
In November 2017 a further statement was taken from a witness but there has been no new information which has come to light in the past two years.
Mr Mowatt was going through a difficult time when he walked out of a supported accommodation unit and an extensive search was carried out by divers at Arbroath Harbour following his disappearance.
Searches were also undertaken at the nearby cliffs, as well as in caves and woods but no trace or clue has ever been found despite extensive appeals.
A fresh review of the case has failed to generate any new leads and Mr Mowatt’s family is still desperately searching for answers.
Mr Mowatt’s sister Sonya said: “I really don’t know what to think any more.
“It is never ending. I’d like to think we still have a tiny bit of hope. I would like to thank everyone who has and keeps searching for Iain.”
Mr Mowatt went missing on the day his parents left for a holiday in Croatia which, coincidentally, was also his sister’s 30th birthday.
Despite the passing of time, his worried family and friends still cling to the hope he may have just decided to “drop out of society” and start afresh somewhere else.
The police evidence vault includes 11 known items which were taken as part of the enquiry and 44 statements.
The force said the full list of artefacts would not be made public because “disclosure of the requested information at this stage would be detrimental to any ongoing investigations”.
Mr Mowatt is described as six feet four inches tall, heavily built, with brown hair and blue eyes.
He also has several tattoos including one of a panther on his right arm and a tribal design on his back.
When last seen, he was wearing a light grey hooded top, as well as a green and white-hooped Celtic football shirt, combat trousers and white trainers.
A police spokesman said: “The most recent review did not generate any further enquiries.
“As with any missing person enquiry though, the case always remains open and we’ll always react to any new information.”
