Why I will never stop looking for my son
IT has been four years since Newcastle man Michael Whinham went missing – but his dad says he will never stop looking for him.
Michael, who had been living in Oakfield Gardens, Benwell, was reported missing to police after vanishing on November 14, 2015.
The last confirmed sighting of him was on
CCTV footage which showed him leaving Newcastle Crown Court. His dad Paul believes he is alive and has been trying to search for him ever since.
He says Michael, who would be 34 years old now and suffers from mental health difficulties, is likely to be sleeping rough elsewhere in the country.
Earlier this year, he was contacted by a number of people who said they saw his son in the Wolverhampton area.
Those leads were followed up by police but Michael was not found.
Paul, 69, from Wallsend, said: “There were about 16 to 18 sightings of him in Wolverhampton.
“I myself went down there in June to see if I could find him. I spoke to people there who recognised him straight away and said Michael had a beard and long hair when they saw him.
“I met a security guard at an Asda store and he recognised Michael. He said, ‘I’ve never seen him for a few weeks.’ “I also went to an old church that had been converted into a welfare centre and people there said they had seen Michael.
“I’m 100% sure he is alive. I don’t know if it’s fatherly instinct, I just don’t feel he has died.”
He added: “If he’s quite content living the way he is living, that’s fine. I just want to know he is safe.”
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Our investigation is still open. Anybody with information should call 101, quoting reference 0212670.”