Police in Northern Ireland have opened a public portal for information in relation to a west Belfast dad who has been missing in Spain for over a fortnight.
John Hardy, also known as John George, travelled to Spain three weeks ago to visit friends. He was last in touch with his family on 14 December when he drove from Alicante to Benidorm.
The alarm was raised on 18 December as the 37-year-old missed his flight home to spend Christmas with his kids. His mobile phone has been off since 14 December, prompting his family and friends to travel to Spain in search of him.
While the investigation must be progressed by Spanish police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have made an offer of assistance to police in Spain and will assist with any local enquiries as requested by them.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, the PSNI said it has been liaising closely with the missing man’s family and other law enforcement agencies. ‘Dedicated Family Liaison Officers have been appointed to provide support to the family at this time,’ the PSNI also said.
‘We would ask anyone who believes they may have information which could assist the Spanish Investigation Team with their investigation to contact us on 101 [calling from within Northern Ireland]. Any photographs or footage, including CCTV, mobile phone or dash cam footage, can be shared with the Police Service of Northern Ireland through the Major Incident Public Portal at: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI24T24-PO1 and that information will be forwarded to Spanish Police,’ the statement said.
‘Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime,’ the statement added.
According to reports, Spanish police suspect that John, a dad-of-two, was killed shortly after 14 December. His family say they won’t rest until his body is recovered and brought back home to Belfast.
It comes as a search and rescue team that had travelled from Northern Ireland to Alicante to help with the search for John since 1 January, has now ended that search.
On Saturday evening, K9 Search and Rescue NI, the all-volunteer canine search and rescue team, said its search was ‘coming to an end, for now, with unfortunately no results in locating missing Belfast man John George’.
Ryan Gray, the leader of the search team, had told BBC News NI on Saturday night that the search was ‘very productive’.
‘We covered very large areas and the challenges that come with that … there’s all different sorts of terrain, scrubland, urban areas, water. But unfortunately we didn’t find anything relating to John,’ he said.
He added that the family, who asked the team for their assistance, are still in Spain alongside ‘lots of John’s friends’ and are ‘still searching for him’.
He said the team are going to keep in ‘very close contact’ with John’s family and added the team ‘don’t want to leave’.
‘We came out here to find John and we haven’t … we will return if the family ask us to come back,’ he said.
Father’s emotional appeal and suspicions
Distraught relatives, including the missing man’s father, have been searching the area around Cabo Roig beach, near Alicante, where he was last seen.
In an emotional video posted on Facebook on New Year’s Day, John’s father, Billy George, said: ‘Still no joy with John. This is going on too long. Please I beg you from the bottom of my heart, just give me him back and we’re out of here. I’m staying until I get him. Please just give me my son. That’s all I want, just my son.’
According to reports, the missing man’s father believes his son was lured to Spain on the promise of a holiday and has since been shot dead. He has also claimed that he has spoken to a man that he believes fired the shots that claimed his son’s life.
The man was later detained by Spanish police and subsequently released.
It is understood that in recent days two other suspects in the case were interviewed by Spanish police in the presence of Mr George’s father.
It has also been reported that a suspect in the case left Spain this week while another is believed to have travelled to Thailand last month.
The Guardia Civil in Alicante has said it is continuing to investigate the case.
Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
Please support Spain in English with a donation.
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.
Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.
