Harefield Gazette

Portraits of the missing

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IT’S hard to imagine the inner turmoil felt by families whose loved ones are missing.

Now a London exhibition will explore the painful topic with a series of heart-wrenching portraits.

Around 43,000 people go missing in London every year and more than 50 per cent of them are younger than 18, according to Metropolit­an Police figures.

While some who go missing are found soon after they’ve been reported, others will not be found for years, or maybe never.

The Missing People charity has teamed up with The Other Art Fair and commission­ed artists to create portraits of missing people from across the UK.

Their sudden disappeara­nces have left some families without answers for decades.

Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richie Edwards, who was last seen in 1995, is one of just one the missing people whose portraits will be revealed to mark Missing People’s 25th anniversar­y on March 14.

Three missing Londoners will also feature in the exhibition. This is who they are and when and where they were last seen. He was 20 years old when he went missing on December 3 that year, but 26 years after his disappeara­nce his family still hold out hope of finding him. He was last seen by his family in Walthamsto­w after saying he was off to visit friends at the weekend, and has not been seen since.

Police were unable to trace him at the time and a fresh appeal to find him was launched on the 25th anniversar­y of his disappeara­nce in 2017.

At the time his mother Ann Tunstall issued a heartfelt plea for him to return home: “Our home telephone number hasn’t changed. So please get in touch — just to say you are okay if you see this appeal,” she told the Docklands and East London Advertiser.

Darren’s family has worked with Missing People over the years and they have not given up hope.

Anyone with informatio­n about Darren Tunstall is being urged to contact the Missing Persons unit on 020-3276 0936, on Twitter @MPSWForest, Missing People on 116000, or email 116000@missingpeo­ple.org. uk. Andrew Gosden was just 14 when he stepped out of King’s Cross station and has not been seen since. The young rock fan vanished on September 14, 2007, just months after Madeline McCann’s disappeara­nce made global news. While Andrew went missing in London he was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

On the day he vanished he was supposed to be going to school but instead he withdrew £200 from his bank account and bought a oneway ticket to London from Doncaster station. He was last seen on CCTV leaving King’s Cross station.

He would be 25 years old now and has a distinctiv­e physical trait, a double ridge on his right ear.

His father Kevin told Vice News of the last time he saw his son, the night before he disappeare­d: “The night before Andrew went missing,” said Kevin, “We lay on the floor and did a jigsaw. It was an entirely unremarkab­le evening. We played games and did arts and crafts stuff with the kids a lot, ever since they were little. It’s just what we did that night... never did I think…”

Kevin described Andrew as “clever” and “talented”.

He said: “Andrew was too clever by half. He tended to say little about school, but we remember him coming back from summer school for gifted and talented kids, and he was absolutely enthused about what he had been doing. To be honest, I think Andrew saw school as something you sort of had to do just in order to have choices open to you for adult life.”

Andrew was wearing a Slip Knot T-shirt when he went missing.

Anyone who has informatio­n about Andrew is asked to get in touch with Missing People via the website.

Hillingdon man Carl Hodges was last seen on February 3, 2016. He was 33 years old at the time and was last seen near his home in Hawkeswort­h Close, Northwood at around 5.30am.

Following his disappeara­nces there were growing fears for the missing man after his car was spotted in Cambridges­hire.

His family launched a renewed appeal to find him on the 3rd anniversar­y of his disappeara­nce, February 3, 2019.

His father Eddie Hodges told the Eastern Daily Press: “We are at a loss to express our frustratio­n with the situation we find ourselves in.

“Since being supported by the charity Missing People we know how many more families have the same feelings year-on-year. We just hope the year 2020 gives us all a clearer vision of the problem just under the radar.”

He is described as 6ft tall, of medium build and has a scar on his chest. He had blond, short, straight hair.

At the time he went missing he was wearing a black and burgundy fleece, grey trousers, a red baseball cap and white trainers.

Missing People spokesman, Ian Roullier said: “Carl, if you are read- ing this, please call or text us on our free phone number, 116 000. It’s confidenti­al and we can’t trace your call. We just want to provide you with the support you need and help you to be safe.

“The helpline is here to support people who are missing or thinking of going missing and their loved ones who are left behind.”

Anyone who has seen Mr Hodges is asked to contact Missing People on 116 000 or emailing 116000@ missingpeo­ple.org.uk, or to call police on 101.

The #Unmissable exhibition is at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1 6QR from March 14 to 17.

 ??  ?? Missing East Londoner Darren Tunstall by artist Carne Griffiths
Missing East Londoner Darren Tunstall by artist Carne Griffiths
 ??  ?? Missing person Andrew Gosden by artist Timothy Gatenby
Missing person Andrew Gosden by artist Timothy Gatenby

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