Sister's pain over missing brother

A DEVONPORT woman has spoken of her anguish as she re-launches an appeal for her missing brother a year since he disappeared.

Dockyard worker David Wallis, 53, mysteriously vanished from his home in Pottery Road, Morice Town, on November 25, last year.

His sister, Susan Cook, who cooked him his dinner every evening, said: "There has been no sign of him but I just keep hoping that he is out there somewhere. It's hard after 12 months to understand where he might be."

So far the only clue has been the recovery of his jacket, containing his wallet and house keys, found hanging on a fence near Devils Point shortly after his disappearance.

Susan said: "The signs are not good but it would be nice to think he might be out there somewhere – you can't lose hope of that.

"We just need some closure. It's always on all of our minds – sometimes I think I've seen him, but it's never him.

"All we want is just a call from him or anyone who knows anything, just to say he is ok.

"One way or the other we just need to know what's happened to him."

Mr Wallis had lived in Devonport and worked at the Dockyard all his life, having moved to his Morice Town address, from St John Street, a year before his disappearance.

He was last seen at about 2.16pm on November 24 on CCTV buying small items from the Prime Time News store in Cumberland Street.

He also used his bank cards at a number of local Co-op outlets on that day, between 9.35am and 8.01pm.

Police say it is possible he later went betting at a local Ladbrokes. Mr Wallis also regularly drank at The Revenue pub in the area.

Following his disappearance, police carried out a search of land and sea around Devils Point, where people are known to sleep rough.

Family members said they had become concerned Mr Wallis was depressed in the days before he vanished, as he appeared to be neglecting himself and losing weight.

The family first appealed for information in The Herald last year.

Since then they have appeared on BBC's Missing programme and detectives received five phone calls reporting potential sightings.

DI Nick West who has led the case all year, said: "Unfortunately none of these sightings came to anything. We are keeping an open mind.

"We would like people to be vigilant and look out for his distinctive traits, such as the fact that he walks with a limp."

He was last seen wearing a brown polo-shirt, grey-blue trousers and light black slip-on shoes. He is 6ft tall, is described as being very thin with slightly olive skin, receding grey hair, a full 'scruffy' beard, and gappy teeth.

Anyone with information should contact the police on 08452 777444 quoting police log number 339 of December 5, 2008. Alternatively, call the free Missing People hotline in confidence on 0500 700700.