31 January 2023 , 06:55
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A man who disappeared 30 years ago from Fife when he was just 21 could be "alive and well", say police as they made a fresh appeal for him to contact them.
Peter McGuire, who would now be 51, went missing from High Valleyfield on January 27, 1993 and has not been in contact with his family since, reported the Daily Record.
Hope has been raised of finding him after a person with his name and date of birth was spotted at a homeless shelter in Hastings, East Sussex in November, 2016.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly McEwan, of Police Scotland, said: “If Peter becomes aware of this appeal we would like him to come forward and speak with us to confirm he is safe and well. We wouldn’t disclose his whereabouts to any other person against his wishes.
“Although we’re now talking 30 years on in this case, it will always be an open enquiry unless there is information to prove otherwise.”
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A police handout of what Peter McGuire might look like now aged 51 (PA)After leaving his home on the day he vanished, Peter was spotted leaving Carnegie Swimming Pool in Dunfermline later that day.
An investigation was launched and his car was later recovered near the Forth Road Bridge, but there were no further sightings or any information on his whereabouts.
No trace of Peter was ever found until the 25th anniversary of his disappearance, when police revealed they had been following a possible lead and released an image created by a forensic artist showing how Peter may look as an older man.
Police Scotland’s Fife Division said a man using Peter’s name and date of birth had gone to the Hastings homeless shelter but had moved on before subsequent enquiries were made.
DCI McEwan said: “He did provide some information which suggested at least some knowledge of Peter’s circumstances. Unfortunately, he moved on very quickly before identification could be fully established.
“The male had a telephone number attributed to him and the investigation largely centred on telephone enquires. We commenced an investigation which led to enquiries in London and the south east of England. But essentially, the male was never traced and we haven’t been able to speak to anyone who had knowledge of that male’s whereabouts.
“Sadly, a question mark very much still hangs over whether the man who presented at the homeless shelter was Peter McGuire or not.
“Peter went missing when he was 21. His last known sighting is leaving a leisure centre in Dunfermline and there are no sightings thereafter.
“His car was parked abandoned near the Forth Road Bridge but there was no information to suggest anything had befallen him. Coupled with the information that came to light at the end of 2016, it is very much a possibility that Peter may be living elsewhere and is safe and well.”
Peter’s parents are understood to have passed away since his disappearance but his remaining relatives are still hopeful he will return.
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In a rare statement made through police on the 25th anniversary, they said their “doors will always be open”.
They said: “Peter, you are a big part of our lives that is missing and the pain of that has never gone away. We all love you so much and worry about you every day. Please, Peter, find it in yourself to get in touch.
“We would love for you to be a part of our lives again in any way you choose; your terms, your pace, one step at a time.”
Anyone with information can contact Dunfermline Police Station via 101.