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ROBERT, KNOWN AS SCOTT, VANISHED IN NORTH SHIELDS IN 2002 - HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICE INVESTIGATION SINCE THEN 16:23, 18 Feb 2025Updated 16:28, 18 Feb 2025 It's a mystery
that has baffled police, and left a family living in limbo. Robert Scott Clive, who was known as Scott, after he vanished without a trace in North Shields in 2002. What happened to him
remains unknown. Police are today searching a house in North Shields that Scott was known to have visited on the night he went missing. As the probe continues, we take a look back at all the
twists and turns in the heartbreaking case. WHEN DID SCOTT GO MISSING? Scott moved to North Shields from Stranraer in Scotland, 10 months before he vanished. The labourer, who was living in
a bedsit on Prudhoe Terrace, was reported missing by his family in Scotland after no-one heard from him for several days. At first police treated Scott as a missing person, but several
weeks later a murder probe was launched, despite the fact no body had been found. Detectives made a number of public appeals for information, and released CCTV images of Scott captured hours
before he vanished. They said Scott had been drinking in North Shields before going to a party. Article continues below The last known sighting of Scott was when he was in the Customs House
accommodation for single people on Borough Road, North Shields, where he had been with several other people, on the night of October 10. At the time of his disappearance, Scott was
described as white, 5ft 11ins and of medium build. He had a pale complexion, blue eyes, and dark brown hair in a short crew cut style. His teeth are slightly crooked at the front and
chipped. When Scott was last seen he was wearing black Nike trainers, a black jacket, blue or green jeans, and a beige jumper. Scott’s distinguishing features include: half of his big toe
missing and he has a scar through one eyebrow. He has a skull tattoo on his lower left arm with Tam o’ Shanter & ‘Scotland’ written below. He also has a tattoo with the letters ‘R. F. C’
on his right wrist. WHAT DID POLICE FIND OUT? Seven people were initially arrested in connection with Scott’s disappearance, but no-one was ever charged. Then In 2008, Northumbria Police
detectives carried out a major review of the case. Police divers were sent into the Tyne in April that year after a new witness came forward saying they had seen a man matching Scott’s
description by the edge of the river during the early hours of October 11, 2002. No trace of his body was found, but police told Scott's family they believed he had gone into the river.
However, Scott's loved ones have never been able to get any closure and have spent the last two decades desperate for some confirmation of what happened to him. And his mum Tricia, 73,
has previously told the Chronicle how her son had been making plans for the future when he vanished. KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND TOP STORIES FROM THE NORTH EAST
WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER FAMILY'S 20-YEAR ANGUISH: "WE WILL NEVER GET OVER THIS" Marking the 20th anniversary of his disappearance, Tricia said to the Chronicle: "We will
never get over this, our family is broken with Scott’s loss and the worst thing is we still have no closure. “When the police and they said they were closing the case we couldn’t believe
what we were hearing. To us they had no proper proof or evidence to say that Scott had fallen in the water that night. They offered us a death certificate which we refused. "After all
this time we do believe Scott is dead, but we don’t accept the circumstances that the police stated. Our life has been in limbo for 20 years. The last letter I got from Scott was on
September 13. He was sounding really cheerful and making plans for the future.” Last summer the case took a dramatic twist when Northumbria Police arrested a 49-year-old man after new
information about the case came to light. He was questioned on suspicion of murder before being released on bail. FRESH POLICE APPEAL TODAY Police say they are still keeping an open mind
about what happened to Scott and have today made a direct appeal to anybody who lived on Coronation Street in North Shields in 2002 to come forward, regardless of whether they believe they
saw Scott on the night or not. Detectives say that they could hold important information without even realising. Det Insp Mark Atherton, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts
very much continue to be with Scott’s loved ones. They are living without knowing what has happened to him and we want to be able to provide them with the answers they deserve. “After a
review of the information we have, we are refocussing our efforts in the Coronation Street area and an address we know he visited on the night he went missing. We are grateful to the current
occupant of that premises for their cooperation, and that of the wider community as we conduct our enquiries. “We are also asking anyone who lived in Coronation Street at the time to get in
touch, as they may have relevant information without even realising. We would further urge anyone else with information which they believe could assist our enquiries – no matter how small
or insignificant they think it may be, to come forward. The details you have could prove key to our investigation." Article continues below Northumbria Police has set up a a dedicated
webpage for people to to share information. People are asked to get in touch online at the following link - https://mipp.police.uk/operation/10NP020310B52-PO1. Alternatively, you can contact
Northumbria Police by telephone or social media quoting reference NP-20240703-0398. JOIN OUR COURT & CRIME WHATSAPP COMMUNITY Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp community for all the
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