Missing people: South Yorkshire families still searching for answers over disappearances of loved ones

Only rarely are missing persons cases not resolved within a matter of days, or even hours. Many cases end with families and loved one reunited, such as the recent case of missing 20year-old Scott, who disappeared from his Sheffield home but was eventually found safe and well nearly a week later.

However, a number of cases in South Yorkshire have gone unsolved for weeks, months or even years.

These are all of South Yorkshire Police’s outstanding missing person appeals as of February 17, listed in order of most recent to vanish. The longest unsolved mystery is the unsolved case of Andrew Gosden, who disappeared in 2007.

Anyone with any information that could help bring a missing person home should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, quoting the incident numbers listed below.

Missing man Abdul – missing since February 13, 2023

Abdul, 25, was last seen in Treherne Road, Moorgate at 7.30pm on February12. A man matching his description was then captured walking towards Milton Road.​

Abdul is Asian, around 5ft 5ins tall and was last seen wearing a black coat and black and white trainers. He is known to frequent Clifton Park and Herringthorpe playing fields.

Incident number to quote is 142 of February 13, 2023.

Missing teenager James – missing since January 25, 2023

James, 16, was last seen nearly three weeks ago January 25, at 9am, in the Totley area of the city.

James is white, of skinny build, approximately 5ft 8ins tall, with short blonde hair. He can look gaunt in appearance, and typically wears a tracksuit and black coat though it is not known what he is currently wearing.

Incident number to quote is 1042 of January 25, 2023.

Missing teenager Kyle – missing since January 24, 2023

Kyle, 16, was last seen at around 2pm in Wombwell, Barnsley, on January 24, 2023. Kyle is white, approximately 5ft 3ins tall, with short brown hair.

Incident number to quoting quote is 442 of February 15, 2023

Missing man Joseph – missing since August 28, 2021

Joseph, 64, from the Bessacar area of Doncaster, was last seen when he checked into the Kingsway Hotel in Cleethorpes on August 15, 2021, and checked out of the hotel again the next day.

No contact has been made with Joseph since, and it is not known whether he is still in the Humberside area or if he has returned to his home area, or back to Lincolnshire where he had previously confirmed to family and friends he was in Skegness.

He is described as white, approximately 5ft 9in tall and of medium build. He has short, dark hair which is greying, and it is not known what he would be wearing.

New CCTV images confirm he was last wearing on 16 August a light blue jacket with dark blue sleeves, dark blue trousers and black shoes. He was carrying a black rucksack with two white lines down the front of it. He also had a dark blue baseball-style cap with him.

Incident number to quote is 971 of August 25.

Missing man Richard – missing since November 25, 2019

Richard, 55, from Hotland, was last seen by his daughter at 7pm on November 16. He is described as being between 5ft 10 - 6ft tall.

Incident number is 459 of November 25, 2022.

Two Barnsley men – one aged 46 and one 48 – were arrested on suspicion of murder in December, 2022, and later released under investigation.

The arrests came after four other men – three aged 43, 51 and 68, all from Barnsley – and a 67-year-old man from Rotherham were arrested on suspicion of murder in March that year. They were also released under investigation.

In December, South Yorkshire Police released CCTV footage showing Richard on the forecourt of a petrol station on Sheffield Road in Birdwell at about 10.30pm on November 16, 2019.

Andrew Gosden – missing since 2007

Andrew Gosden was just 14-years-old when he disappeared and has not been seen since he left his home on Littlemoor Lane in Balby, Doncaster, in September 2007.

He was thought to have been on his way to school but was next seen on CCTV outside Kings Cross Station in London. Since then, no positive sighting of Andrew has ever been confirmed, according to South Yorkshire Police.

In 2022, the force revealed they detained two men, assisted by officers from the Metropolitan Police, on December 8 last year, but no further news has been disclosed. They said at the time that a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnap, human trafficking and the possession of indecent images of children, and a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and human trafficking. Both were released under investigation while enquiries continue.

The age-progression of Andrew pictured here was released in October 2019. Andrew has an unusual and distinctive right ear, which has been highlighted before. However, if Andrew has slightly longer hair then this may not be immediately noticeable. What may be more noticeable is that Andrew is deaf in his left ear and struggles to locate the direction of sounds.

Andrew used to speak quickly and quietly, without a strong accent, which is unlikely to have changed. He is highly intelligent and can carry out complex calculations in his head.

Anyone who believes they may know someone with these identifying features, or may hold information about an individual that matches the above descriptions, is asked to please call South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 161 of September 13, 2017. You can also speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.