My son went to the shop on Cornwall holiday and never came back

A heartbroken mum who “can’t believe her son is dead” is pleading for him to get in contact over a year after he vanished. Jenny Stone says her son Craig, 53, who served in the British Army, never misses a Remembrance Day.

Craig was last seen in the Looe Holiday Park area in the evening of Sunday July 7, 2024 but may now be in the Plymouth area, where there have been possible sightings in the past few months. “He never misses a Remembrance Day,” mum Jenny told The Mirror.

“We just want to know he’s safe and were asking people to look out for him [on] Remembrance Sunday as he could be somewhere marking the occasion. He was on holiday with us in Looe in Cornwall and went to the shop one day and never came back. That’s the last time we saw him.

“He has PTSD and was convinced all his belongings had been stolen and he’d been thrown out of his flat. I tried to reassure him that everything was fine and he was on holiday.”

Craig is roughly 5ft 8in tall with a slim build and short dark hair and is often seen wearing a flat cap. He was last spotted in a camouflage top, blue jeans and black and white trainers.

“There have been a couple of possible sightings in Plymouth but we’ve been down there nine times now and it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. One sighting was in the Union Rooms which is a Wetherspoons and the description sounds like it was him as he was wearing a camouflage top and a flat cap.

“He was definitely confused the last time we saw him and only walked away with the clothes on his back. He had his wallet and some money with him but his bank hasn’t been touched in 16 months and he didn’t take his phone. You hear about these awful things but you never think they will happen to you.”

Craig’s mother fears for her son’s mental wellbeing and suspects he may feel he’s disappointed his family. However, she’s keen to reassure him: “I want him to know that he’s always welcome to come home and stay with us. My phone number is the same – we just want to know you’re ok – it would be lovely to hear from you. Christmas isn’t the same without you.

“I think the police believe he’s dead but I don’t believe anyone is dead until you find them. He’s smartly dressed, well spoken and has the most infectious laugh and sounds like Sid James. I’d do anything to hear that laugh again.”

Jenny is backing the Mirror’s Missed campaign, delivered alongside the charity Missing People. Launched on Mother’s Day, the campaign urges the Government to establish a national strategy supporting missing people and their loved ones.

Anyone with information about Craig Roberts should contact Devon and Cornwall Police on 999 or 101, quoting the reference number 972, or message Beacon Alert privately to share details confidentially.

Meanwhile, the Mirror is campaigning for a dedicated cross-departmental strategy spearheaded by the Home Office, Department for Education, and Department for Health and Social Care to deliver vital resources for missing people and their loved ones.

The petition calls on Keir Starmer and the government to ensure missing people don’t slip through the cracks and has now attracted 17,642 supporters. A Home Office spokesperson said it is collaborating closely with other service providers to prevent people from going missing and to locate them swiftly when they do.

“Every person who goes missing leaves behind a family desperate for answers. We want to make sure every missing person case receives an equal, thorough and swift response from police forces across the country.”