Fresher Tom’s last words to pal before he vanished
POLICE fear a student who vanished on a night out was murdered after phoning his new flatmate to say he would be home in two minutes.
Moments before he disappeared on Freshers’ Week, Tom Jones, 18, sent a Snapchat message to a pal showing him near some railings.
He told his parents in a phone call just after 3am last Wednesday that he was back home and “safe”. But when his mum ® and dad could not raise him later that day they called police.
On Sunday night detectives arrested two men, aged 20, on suspicion of murder.
They were last night being held in custody for questioning as the search for the missing teenager continued.
Tom was due to start a primary education course at Worcester University yesterday with pal Harley Hetherington, who saw him in the city’s Velvet nightclub on the night he disappeared. Harley, who has known Tom since he was nine, said: “He seemed absolutely fine. He did not seem intoxicated at all.
“Tom had phoned his mum and then his new flatmate to tell him he was two minutes away from home before he disappeared.
“Nobody can quite understand how it’s happened.”
Harley, who has set up a Facebook page to help find his pal, said: “We are still just trying to stay positive and hopeful.”
Tom had moved into halls of residence days earlier.
He was last seen at about 3am near the River Severn in the city centre.
Tom’s parents, who live 15 miles away in Bromsgrove, said they are going through the “most distressing days of our lives”.
His father Ian, 50, said: “We last spoke to Tom on the phone at just after 3am.
“We just want him back home.”