Spanish police have finally launched a formal hunt for rugby player and X-factor star Levi Davis tonight after deciding not to wait for a missing persons ’ report to arrive.
The regional Mossos d’Esquadra force in Barcelona took the decision to act on their own initiative and start an investigation 10 days after he was last seen in the Catalan capital.
They had come under increasing pressure to assign officers to the concerning case after first saying they had to wait for official notification the 24-year-old was missing before doing anything.
A Mossos spokeswoman said: “An investigation is now underway.
“It is an investigation we have decided to launch ourselves on our own initiative because we have yet to receive any official notification he is missing through the normal channels.
“We cannot inform at this stage on exactly what is being done and what will be done but efforts to find this man and establish what may have happened to him are underway.
“Obviously once we receive the official missing persons’ report we should be in possession of more information that will help us in that task.”
Spanish police revealed yesterday they were yet to start the search for Levi, seen leaving the Old Irish Pub off Barcelona’s La Rambla around 10pm on October 29 after arriving in the Catalan capital from Ibiza earlier the same day.
Ibiza-based friend Richard Squire said he left the island “suddenly” without clothes or cash to take a boat to Barcelona.
A Mossos spokesman in Barcelona said: “We are aware of the news of this man’s disappearance from press reports and social media but are still awaiting official notification he is missing.
“It appears he was reported missing by his family in the UK but that notification has not yet reached us.
“We cannot launch a formal investigation until it does but are working on the basis that it may reach us later today.
“Investigators will then be tasked with looking into what might have happened and trying to ascertain among other things whether it’s a voluntary disappearance or could be linked to a crime.
“That work will likely involve talking to potential witnesses and possibly relatives.”
The Spanish police U-turn came after the pub where Levi was last seen tried to speed up the search for him by sending police the haunting CCTV images of him leaving the popular venue.
A manager at the pub said: “On Monday morning, without even the investigation in Spain started, we have provided local police with the CCTV recording of missing Levi Davis, last seen leaving the Old Irish Pub Barcelona alone at 10pm on October 29.
“We urge everyone who has seen Mr Davis to contact local authorities.
“We hope that Levi will be safe home soon.”
Confirmation they were actively co-operating in the hunt to find him came as Levi’s friend Mr Squire opened up on his pain in an emotional social media message accompanying an online fundraiser he had launched.
He also revealed friends and family would be "walking the streets" in Barcelona and surrounding areas in the search for Levi and clues as to where he has been.
Levi’s sister Candeece Balfour, 23, has admitted she is scared about his wellbeing and said: “I just want to tell him that I love him.”
His mum Julie Davis revealed on Monday he was considering retiring from rugby due to injury, adding: “Rugby has not been the best at looking after Levi and he’s suffered a lot of racial prejudice.
“He didn’t have a pub and had money worries. There was some very deep emotional stuff around relationships that I really can’t go into.
“It seems as if everything just got too much and it’s led to Levi going missing.”
In an update on Good Morning Britain earlier today about the former Bath and England player, she said: “The latest is that he was seen in Sitges, on a beach there.
“He was approached by a gentleman who saw Levi, who we think was Levi, and asked him in Spanish, ‘are you ok?’
“Unfortunately Levi, if it was Levi, didn’t answer back.”
