Searches For Missing Luke

5 September 2011, 17:09

Police investigating after a teenager went missing 5 years ago have been telling Heart they found nothing significant.

Luke Durbin was reported missing in May 2006 after a night out in Ipswich. After a recent review, detectives found that some information may have been more significant the previously thought.  

A sighting of Luke the day before he was reported missing was highlighted in a review carried out by the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, who took over the case in November 2010. Searches on foot and with dogs took place Sunday morning around the Foxhall stadium in Suffolk in hope that it would open up an extended route Luke took.

Despite nothing significant being found, DCI John Brocklebank is determined to continue the search, "Every lead and piece of information is being followed up by a team of detectives and we are determined to find out what happend the night Luke disappeared, our enquiries will continue".

What we know about Luke's disappearance:

19-year-old Luke Durbin was reported missing by his mother on Saturday 13th May 2006 after a night out in Ipswich.

During their inquiries officers viewed CCTV footage from Ipswich town and Luke was seen near the bus station in Ipswich town centre at 4am on Friday 12th May.

The enquiry team also received information relating to a sighting of Luke between 11am-2pm on Saturday 13th May, 2006 in Woodbridge. This was a dark-blue Renault Megane. It was seen near the Turban Centre.

In November 2010, detectives from the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team took on the case and reviewed the sequence of events and enquiries that had been carried out during the four years while also undertaking new lines of enquiry.

This review has highlighted a reported sighting to be more significant than originally thought. On Friday 12th May, 2006, a man at the Foxhall Stadium saw a young man walking towards the water tower between 7.30am and 8.00am who matched Luke's appearance. This was reported to police after seeing the subsequent media publicity surrounding the police investigation.

Senior Investigating Officer, DCI John Brocklebank, believes this sighting could now prove to be useful and may open up an extended route Luke took.

"If this man is right, then we have a further confirmed sighting of Luke later on that Friday morning and it then opens up several lines of enquiry, said DCI Brocklebank. "By carrying out a detailed search of the area, we can see if there are any items of clothing or other material, which may suggest Luke was in the area as this man suggests.

We really appreciate the support we have had from the public following our renewed appeals for information, every lead and piece of information is being followed up by a team of detectives and we are determined to find out what happened the night Luke disappeared.

Although this still remains a missing person enquiry, we are looking at all possibilities of what has happened to Luke, which includes Luke being unlawfully killed."

Anyone with information in connection with the disappearance of Luke Durbin is urged to contact detectives from the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team on 01473 782059 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.