Fresh appeal for man missing since October

A FRESH appeal has been made to find a man who went missing six months ago, sparking one of the biggest ever search operations carried out by the national police force.

Shaun Ritchie, 20, was last seen in an open area of land between Strichen and the A98 Fraserburgh to Banff road in Aberdeenshire on October 31. He was reported missing two days later and a helicopter, divers, doghandlers and mountain rescue teams searched the location.

Some items of his clothing were found a few days later and police had said it indicated he may have been “disorientated and seeking shelter” when he was in the area.

However, despite a massive search stretching over eight square miles and involving more than 200 specialist officers and 27 dogs, no further trace of Mr Ritchie has been found.

Inspector Stewart Drummond, of Police Scotland, said: “The searches carried out to locate Shaun have been extensive and challenging, due to the difficult terrain.

“Items of Shaun’s clothing were recovered as part of the early stages of the enquiry which would have placed him in the Greenburn area.

“If Shaun has walked on from this area, as appears to be the case, we have no indication of the direction he has taken, which compounds further searches due to the size of terrain already searched.”

Mr Ritchie’s father Charlie Reid last week offered a £5,000 reward for anyone who can help find his son.

Mr Drummond added: “We have interviewed a number of people, including those who were with Shaun on the night he was last seen. Although we will always keep an open mind as to the circumstances, there is no evidence to date which would indicate that Shaun has been a victim of any crime.

“We understand this is a difficult time for Shaun’s family who just want answers and not knowing where he is or what has happened to him is beyond frustration for them.”