Police say 'all lines of enquiry' in search for missing pensioner Colin Vasey complete

Kirklees District Police have said they will continue to do all they can to bring missing 81-year-old Colin back to his family, but that the only place remaining to search is the river in Dewsbury.

Officers have conducted extensive enquiries across Dewsbury since Colin was reported missing on November 17, and have also been supported by a massive public response to appeals.

A check of CCTV on Sunday November 17 showed the 81-year-old walking at a brisk pace in the Owl Lane area of Dewsbury at 5.33am and then again at 5.40am walking on Leeds Road towards the ring road, and at 6.01am near Dewsbury Minster.

Full searches were made of these locations and around Mr Vasey’s home by officers and have since involved specialist search officers, drones and helicopters

Recent enquiries have concentrated on the River Calder in Kirklees over the past two weeks, and the last confirmed sighting of Mr Vasey is of him going towards the bridge with no sightings beyond this despite extensive CCTV enquiries on all possible routes.

Searches remain ongoing in the river by specialist underwater search teams.

DCI Fiona Gaffney of Kirklees Police said: “A significant investigation has been underway over the past weeks to try and determine what happened to Colin and bring some answers for his family.

“Their own efforts to support our enquiries and appeal for information about him have been nothing less than huge, and reflect the love they clearly feel for Mr Vasey.

“Sadly we have not yet been able to bring Colin home to them but are at a point where we have looked everywhere possible and concluded every line of enquiry, other than completing our search of the river.

“Our search efforts remain concentrated there and we will search for as long as we can to try and find Colin.

“I wish to stress that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with Colin’s disappearance and have not done so.

“All our search teams wish to do is bring Colin home to his family and we continue to be aware of the pain they are suffering, especially given the time of year.”