03 May 2023 , 11:36
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Police investigating the disappearance of a little boy missing for 20 years are no closer to finding his whereabouts.
Daniel Entwistle disappeared from near his home at Copperfield Ave, Great Yarmouth on Saturday, May 3 2003.
The alarm was raised by his parents, Paula and David, later that evening when he did not return home for dinner and started a search for him.
The local community rallied round and soon a major investigation was underway with police seeking help from numerous agencies specialising in search and rescue techniques.
CCTV caught him at Blencowes, a store nearby to his home at around 5.05pm the same day while his distinctive red bike was found abandoned near to the river close to Trinity Quay in the early hours of the next morning.
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The youngster vanished 20 years ago today (COPYRIGHT UNKNOWN)
Daniel with his family in a photo shared at the time (Press Association)Despite the huge police search involving many people and other agencies no trace of Daniel was ever found.
In the last five years Norfolk Police have investigated 12 new potential leads, but his whereabouts remain unknown, two decades after his disappearance.
Andy Guy, the force's cold case manager, said: “We recognise the enormity of two decades passing since Daniel went missing, and the impact this has had on his family in that time.
"As a force we remain committed to finding answers for them, and we have continued to explore new lines of inquiry in this case in response to new and credible information.
"In the last five years we have pursued 12 pieces of information passed to us.
Police searching the river River Yare for the missing schoolboy (Press Association)"However, despite the original investigation carried out in 2003, our continued efforts and the subsequent appeals in the intervening years, no information or evidence has yet established what happened to Daniel since the last confirmed sighting of him on 3 May 2003."
Since Daniel’s disappearance officers have conducted more than 2,500 lines of enquiry and taken more than 580 statements.
A spokesman for the force added: “In the last six years officers have conducted further searches in Great Yarmouth and received several new pieces of information which have all been investigated.
“However, Daniel remains a missing person to this day. Officers continue to appeal for new information which could help solve this case.”
As Daniel's case remains active, anyone who has credible information that has not been previously passed to the police can contact officers on 01953 423819 or email [email protected] or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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