For the family of Allan Bryant, it was a moment of both hope and dread.
Allan was 23 when he went missing in November 2013. Last seen leaving Styx nightclub in Glenrothes, there has been no sighting of him since.
Last week, acting on new information, police searched land at Auchtermutchy Common in Fife. Allan’s family were told of the search. After three anxious days, the family was given the news officers had found nothing.
© Tina Norris Photography
It was a difficult time for the Bryants, but they are determined the search for Allan should never stop.
His father, also Allan, said: “I can’t let my boy be forgotten, ever. I just want him home.
“We want to thank everyone for their support and kind words the last few days and for sharing his photo on social media – that’s how we keep his case alive because the fight to find Allan will never stop.”
Tragically, the number of missing people is increasing – a rise experts struggle to explain.
No trace of Allan Bryant after four-day forensic search of Fife beauty spot
One person missing every 90 seconds
In the UK someone is reported missing every 90 seconds – 17,251 people last year.
Since 2020, the number of men reported missing has increased by a staggering 14.5%. Meanwhile, there has been a 9.2% increase for women.
Among them is Khasha Smith, 35, who was reported missing by her family on January 5. The mum of three was last in contact with her family in November 2023. Police Scotland and her family have made several appeals to locate the missing mum from Edinburgh.
In 2022, Finn Creaney, a father from Easter Ross, was last seen on March 25 at Altnaharra in Sutherland on the B873 road near Loch Naver. The married father of one was reported missing days later when he failed to turn up.
Hazel Nairn was also reported missing on November 18 2022. The 71-year-old was last seen in the water of the River Don, near to Monymusk, around 3.05pm on Friday, November 18 2022. The body of Hazel’s dog was recovered on November 23.
© FAMILY HANDOUT/UNPIXS
Each one of these missing people is devastating for their families, their friends and their colleagues.
Missing People is a nationwide charity that provides support to those who go missing and to those families and friends left behind.
Josie Allan, the charity’s head of policy and partnerships, said: “People are almost stuck because you’re waiting for your loved one and you have no indication of what’s happened. There’s so much uncertainty. There’s a phrase called unambiguous loss, which has been used by academics to describe the kind of grief caused by not knowing that’s happened.
“We know that families months or years later are still in that state of emotion because there is no closure; they aren’t able to follow the usual grieving process if someone is missing for a very long time.
“They need answers. They can’t cope with uncertainty of what’s happened to their loved one. It’s an incredibly traumatic experience.”
Unsolved missing people cases
At Glasgow Caledonian University, students work with experts to try to crack unsolved missing persons cases.
Director of the Scottish Cold Case Unit is Professor Lesley McMillian, who says the reasons people go missing are varied. She said: “It can be related to mental health and stress. There can be diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health conditions of stress. There can be some elements of suicide. Other common reasons can be relationships have broken down, either with partners or family.
“Dementia now is also quite common, when people go missing because they get confused and go to places they used to go.
“Financial problems can also contribute. And sometimes people go missing because they are escaping violence.”
Inspector Alasdair Paterson of Police Scotland’s Missing Persons Unit added that the reasons people go missing can be complex.
He said: “Some go missing through misadventure or accident, others may feel it’s their only option and some may be in extreme distress. We cannot underestimate the impact this has on those who are missing and their families, or the importance of support from local communities.”
© Supplied by Police Scotland
Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “We have prioritised this issue through the National Missing Persons Framework and are taking action to support missing people and their families, including funding two national co-ordinators through the Missing People charity.”
Back at the family home in Glenrothes, the ordeal continues for Allan Bryant’s family – his dad Allan, mum Marie and sisters Sophie, 19, and Amy, 28.
Outside their home, their car is covered with stickers showing Allan’s face, with contact details for the police.
Last night, Allan Sr said: “Every day I get up, I think about Allan. Every night I think about him. I’m even dreaming about him. We’re thinking about him constantly.
“All we want is our son back. Our lives have been ruined.”
