The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘It looks like my missing brother’
The sister of a missing man fears remains discovered at a run-down industrial estate in Fife could be his, after police issued a facial reconstruction.
Pauline Gibson contacted investigating officers after seeing similarities with the police image to that of her brother Paul Booth, who went missing from his Cumbernauld home in October 2016.
Mr Booth, 45, at the time of his disappearance, has not been seen since a support worker found the door open at his house in the town’s Seafar while valuables, including keys, wallet and mobile phone, as well as his beloved Staffordshire bull terrier, remained inside.
Police investigating the identity of the remains, which were discovered by two teenagers at a remote part of Whitehill Industrial Estate in Glenrothes on September 27, issued facial reconstruction images earlier this week as part of a fresh appeal to the public.
Hopes that the discovery would be that of missing Glenrothes men Allan Bryant or Kenneth Jones were dashed when investigating officers confirmed, eight days later, that it was neither of the two local men.
Now it’s thought the remains could be the missing Cumbernauld man.
Commenting on the police reconstruction, Pauline said at first she didn’t think it was her brother but after looking at other photos, similarities began to show.
She said: “The shape of the face, the mouth, and he did have some problems with his teeth. Paul also walked with a slight limp. I’ve contacted the police to ask if it’s possible it’s Paul.
“You want it to be them for closure, but at the same time you don’t, as that means he’s not just missing anymore but gone.”
She added that it had been out of character for her brother to just go without telling anyone.
“Over the years we’ve had all sorts of information – that he’s on fishing boats in Aberdeen to get free from drugs, and others demanding money to tell us where he is,” Pauline said.
As well as issuing the facial reconstruction, created by experts at John Mo o r e’s Un i v e r s i ty in Liverpool , police revealed the body was that of someone least 35, of slight build and 5ft 8in or 5ft 9in.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Houliston, leading the investigation, also confirmed that the male had lost several teeth and had a surgical plate fitted in his left ankle, the batch number of which indicated it may have been fitted in a hospital in Fife, Sheffield or Ashford in Kent, in December 1998.