A family has launched a desperate appeal to find a Paisley dad, last seen nearly 30 years ago.
Robert Mitchell, 73, was last in contact with in 1994, having moved from Paisley to London five years earlier. The family believe that the father-of-two was living in the Peckham or Croydon area of the city when he went missing.
His daughter, Jena, 36, last spoke to Robert when she was eight years old. She has managed to track down his brother after posting on Paisley social media pages, but he has not heard from him since the funeral of their grandma in 1983. The two are now working together in a bid to trace him.
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Speaking to MyLondon, Jen said: "We used to live in Paisley in Scotland, just outside of Glasgow. My dad was living with my mum until I was three. He moved to London and continued to be in a relationship with my mum until I was about five. He would come up to Scotland every now and then and give me and my brother presents."
"I don't know why he moved to London, but I think he wanted a fresh start and was living by himself. We kept in contact, but I last spoke to him when I was about eight, and my younger brother was around five.
"I had his mobile number and one day it was off when I tried to phone. I haven't had any connection since then. I was upset when his phone was off and I couldn't get hold of him."
Nobody reported Robert missing at the time of his disappearance and Jena is now unsure of the avenues she should go down. It was also never a subject she discussed with her mum.
Jena said: "My mum moved on with my stepdad so it was hard and she didn't have any connections with anyone he was living with at the time. I also had no one to get in contact with on my dad's side. They didn't even know we existed."
After posting an appeal on a missing people group in July, which was shared on Paisley pages, Jena was united with her uncle and Robert's brother. However, he has not heard from his sibling for 40 years.
"My uncle hasn't spoken to Robert since their grandma's funeral in 1983," Jena continued. "My dad was with us for 10 years and left again. It's brilliant to have him in my life and now I have a connection. We've pretty much spoken every day on the phone and he said I'll always have an uncle now."
Jena says she attempted to report her dad as missing to the police but was told "they wouldn't be able to help". She added: "They aren't concerned for his welfare. They might be able to trace him through his national insurance number but can't because of data protection.
"As it's a historical report, they would have to go to court and ask for permission to disclose his information. By the time I found out I had to report him as missing, it's now too late."
She continued: "We've never had a real father figure and we've always wanted that since we were kids. Now I have a daughter too and I'd like her to know her grandad."
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