Police in Northern Ireland have said they are continuing to liaise with the family of a Belfast man missing in Spain.
John Hardy, also known as John George, travelled to Spain three weeks ago to visit friends. He was last in touch with his family on December 14 when he drove from Alicante to Benidorm.
The alarm was raised on December 18 as the 37-year-old missed his flight home to spend Christmas with his kids. His mobile phone has been off since December 14, prompting his family to travel to the holiday hotspot in search of him.
Read more: ‘We need this nightmare to end’ Family of NI man missing in Spain beg for help
Read more: “We’re worried sick”: NI dad still missing in Benidorm as family beg for help
His loved ones say the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are concerning, as during the last phone call he made home, he was reportedly “distressed.”
Searches are continuing in the Alicante area to try and trace his steps with the hopes of recovering his body, with John’s family visiting the property he was last seen in the Orihuela area over the weekend. Belfast Live has contacted police in Spain for an update on their investigation.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland say they received a report on December 18 regarding John’s case. In an update on December 30, the PSNI confirmed they are continuing to liaise with his family, confirming they will assist with any local enquiries in Northern Ireland.
They added: “While the investigation must be progressed by Spanish police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland will assist with any local enquiries as requested by them.”
John had been to Alicante to visit friends but he never returned
(Image: Family photo)
Speaking to Belfast Live from Alicante on Saturday, John’s younger brother Darren said the family has been “ripped to pieces.”
He said: “We very much stuck in limbo but a lot of people have come from Belfast to help us look for John and there’s more coming every day. The support from Belfast has been unbelievable and there’s about 40 of us now involved in the search.
“Every local out here in Spain has been supporting us too. They’ve been out with dogs and drones helping us look. My mum and dad are out here together with my sisters and partners and John’s partner. But we’re having to scour through thousands of acres every day.
“As a family, we will not stop until we find him but at the minute we’ve very little to go on. We’re praying for someone to come forward anonymously and give us a bit of information so that we can recover his body and get him home.”
The family has launched a GoFundMe page to help raise money towards the search, which already raised more than £21,000 so far. You can donate here.
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