Not a day goes by when Sandra Flintoft doesn't think about her son. Craig Hetherington went missing 20 years ago, and Sarah hasn;t stopped searching for him ever since.
Then aged 22, he was last seen in Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday 22, February 2003. Craig was an engineering student and was last seen outside a club at 1am.
The name of the nightclub called The Cornerhouse, is on Albert Road, at its junction with Zetland Road. At the time of his disappearance he was described as white, 6’ 2” with blue eyes and short brown hair. He has a small scar on the side of his left eye and a small scar on his forehead.
He was last seen wearing a black and white checked long-sleeved shirt, with a white collar and cuffs, black cord trousers and black slip-on shoes with a silver bar. He also wore a DKNY silver watch on his right hand.
He left the pub to get a taxi but was not seen again, Teeside Live reports. A search was carried out along the banks of the River Tees and police spent hours going to different clubs in the area for more information.
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They even searched derelict buildings but nothing became of their investigations. Sandra and Craig's stepfather Alan have worked their hardest to keep the searches going in the hopes that new information or leads will come to light.
The family has also sought counselling and publicity support from Missing People. In more recent years, as the search for Craig continued, the family received a beacon of hope in a possible TV sighting.
In 2007, BBC Breakfast covered floods in Leeds city centre. During broadcast of the incident, three men were shown in the background, one of which resembled Craig, according to Sandra. Recalling the clip in a 2012 interview with The Gazette, Sandra said: “It was surreal and quite emotional really. It was such a short clip but fortunately we have Sky so we were able to rewind it.”
“It’s just that decision whether you think it is your mind playing tricks on you or really whether this is your son and this is the break we have been waiting nine years for,” she added.
The police were informed and investigated the clip but sadly the three young men could not be identified. 20 years on with no major developments as to Craig’s whereabouts, Sandra remains heartbroken yet determined as ever to reunite with her beloved son.
She said: "Although it is 20 years since Craig went missing there is not a day goes by that I don’t think of him. Every special day like birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Christmas when families choose to be together, I wonder where he is, and if he is alive, whether he is thinking of us. The older I get the sadder it becomes at the thought that I might never see him again or get to know what happed to him."
To help the search, the public can visit Craig’s appeal on the Missing People website here , from where they can report a sighting, download his Missing appeal as a poster, and share it as widely as possible via Facebook and Twitter.
Missing People’s publicity officer Ndella Senghore said: “If anyone has any information about Craig’s disappearance, they can contact Missing People’s helpline. Craig, if you are reading this, please get in touch. You can call us on 116 000 or email 116000@missingpeople.org.uk .
"Our service is non-judgemental, confidential, and free thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. We just want to provide you with the support you need and help you to be safe.
"Our helpline is here to support people who are missing, thinking of going missing, and for loved ones who are left behind. The helpline is free and confidential and is operated by trained staff and volunteers."
- Sightings and information about any missing person can also be given anonymously through the Missing People website at https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/sightings-and-giving-information-2 .
