Missing people: Three families begin new year desperate for answers over disappearances of loved ones

Lee Bowman was last seen on the evening of October 31, 2020, before he disappeared from the Thurcroft area of Rotherham.

His friends and family went without answers for over two months.

South Yorkshire Police carried out extensive enquiries and repeat appeals for the public’s help were issued.

Sadly, on January 3, officers confirmed they had found a body in their search for Lee. He was 44.

It was a tragic end to weeks of uncertainty.

But, on the same day, another Lee, from Rotherham, aged 41, was found safe and well after he was last seen dropping his children off at school in Maltby the day before.

Only rarely are missing persons cases not resolved within a matter of days, or even hours.

In the past three months, South Yorkshire Police has published an average of seven missing person appeals per week, and almost all are resolved within a day.

Many cases end with families and loved one reunited – but sadly, others do not.

South Yorkshire Police has entered 2022 with three unsolved missing person cases on their books.

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.

Lee, 17, missing from Doncaster – now missing for seven weeks

Teenager Lee was last seen at an address in Mexborough at 12pm on October 26.

Despite extensive enquiries by officers, efforts to trace the 17-year-old have proved unsuccessful.

He is white, 5ft 10ins tall, slim and has short hair. He is known to frequent Mexborough, Dunscroft and Stainforth.

Have you seen him? Anyone with information that could help find him can contact police on 101, quoting incident number 774 of November 5.

Richard Dyson, from Barnsley – missing for two years

A man has been missing from the Hoyland area of Barnsley for over two years.

Richard Dyson, 55, was last seen by his daughter at 7pm on Saturday, November 16, 2019.

He was reported missing to officers on November 25 after he failed to visit her on the previous day.

He is described as being between 5ft 10 – 6ft tall.

Two Barnsley men – one aged 46 and one 48 – were arrested on suspicion of murder in December 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. 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.

Mr Dyson's daughter Bethany Dainty said the Christmas period was especially hard on the family as her father's birthday fell on Christmas Eve.

“This will be the third birthday for Dad we will have been without him, and I still feel in shock,” the 21-year-old said in a renewed appeal for information at that time.

“Every year without him that shock and disbelief just grows.

She added: “It was such a happy time of the year, and now I dread it and I can't enjoy it any more. It breaks my heart over and over again.”

Anyone with information that could help find Richard can call police on 101, quoting incident number 459 of November 25.

Andrew Gosden, from Doncaster – missing for 14 years

Andrew Gosden was 14 year old when he went missing from Doncaster in 2007.

The schoolboy, who would be 28 now, boarded a train on September 14, 2007 and was last seen at Kings Cross station, London, later that day.

The gifted Balby youngster, who attended McAuley School, left his home, withdrew £200 from his bank account and bought a one-way ticket to London from Doncaster.

He was captured on CCTV cameras leaving the station and there have been no positive sightings since.

Age-progression photos of what Andrew might look like now were released in 2019 by his dad, Kevin, on his blog about the disappearance of his son.

Speaking in 2019, a spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Andrew was 14 when he disappeared in September 2007. Many sightings of people who bear some resemblance to Andrew have been called in to officers. No positive sighting of Andrew has ever been confirmed.

“There are some specific features of Andrew’s appearance and character, which his dad highlights in his latest blog, to accompany the new photograph.

“Anyone in your life who has an incomplete life history, anyone who might not have easy access to a bank account or a passport possibly, with the distinctive right ear markings that we know Andrew had – we’d be really keen to speak to those people.”

What to do if someone you know goes missing

If you believe someone you know has gone missing, it is important to take immediate action, especially if the person could be in danger.

If you believe that someone is missing, dial 101 and inform the police that you would like to make a missing persons report.

It is a common belief you have to wait 24 hours before reporting, but this is NOT true – you can make a report to the police as soon as you think a person is missing.

It you are severely concerned for a person’s wellbeing, dial 999.