Police are to send divers into a canal and retrace their steps in a desperate search to find missing great-grandad Peter Baglin who vanished just over nine weeks ago.
The 55-year-old, from Boothstown, disappeared on December 28 after going out for an evening walk along the Bridgewater Canal. He was captured on CCTV cameras in a local petrol station, on the East Lancashire Road, buying a small bottle of whiskey, but has not been seen since.
Just minutes after leaving the Texaco garage, he called his wife Michelle to tell her he was 'clearing his head' and assured her he would be home soon.
Greater Manchester Police have now vowed to retrace their steps and conduct another major search of the Bridgewater Canal. On the night Peter went missing, police said there were 'extremely low temperatures' and that a change in seasons can 'impact how the water behaves'.
Throughout the nine-week investigation, which remains ongoing, there have been no other confirmed sightings of Peter and no leads in the investigation.
The major police update comes a day after his heartbroken wife Michelle, who has been with Peter for almost 30 years, hit out at 'social media detectives' who have been sharing Youtube videos and speculating about his disappearance and the possibility of a 'third party' being involved.
She also spoke about being forced to read numerous vile messages from online trolls, who said Peter 'did not want to be found' or 'may be cheating'.
Following Peter's sudden disappearance, Greater Manchester Police and underwater divers carried out extensive searches of the Bridgewater Canal between the Moorings and Astley Point. Mountain Rescue teams combed adjoining fields and woodland areas, with an infrared drone also deployed.
The force also conducted CCTV and doorbell footage from the local area and afar, with over 200 members of the local community and Peter's family also lending a hand a carrying out weeks of searches of their own in the hope of a breakthrough. A specialist team of volunteers also undertook their own search of the canal on Tuesday after contacting the family.
In the days after Peter disappeared, a number of his belongings were found close to the embankment of the Bridgewater Canal, on Vicars Hall Lane. His hat, phone, bank cards, tobacco, house key and headphones have been recovered and are with police.
On Thursday (March 2), the Police Search Advisors team returned to the canal once more to carry out a further search, with Mountain Rescue and drones also deployed. These enquiries are expected to continue over the coming days, and anyone with any information is still being urged to contact police immediately.
Senior Investigating Officer Michael Sharples from Salford CID said: "This search is just one line of enquiry that we are following. We continue to follow up on every lead given to us by members of the public and urge anyone who thinks they have seen Peter, to get in touch.
"Today we are carrying out another search of the canal, where we believe Peter was last seen, as well as the surrounding fields and wooded areas. At the time Peter went missing, there were extremely low temperatures and not much boat traffic on the water. This part of the canal is very unique and as such, changes in temperature and the fact the season is changing, can impact on how the water behaves.
"Due to this, we have decided to carry out the search again. We will also have the drone back in the air, which is used to access areas that are harder to reach on foot. We are working closely with Peter's wife, Michelle, and the family and continue to provide ongoing support.
"We are using all of our resources in our attempts to find Peter, and we thank the other agencies who are providing us with the important support. Not only will we be carrying out these searches, but we will looking for even more CCTV and ring doorbell footage, and if you feel you may have seen Peter on the evening of the 28th, we urge you to please get in touch with us with any information you may have."
Speaking previously of her family's turmoil, Michelle told the Manchester Evening News: "I can't understand it. It's like every day you are living a nightmare, like you're here, but you're not. I keep asking myself if I have missed anything or not picked up on any signs.
"I've thought over and over about the night he went missing. There were no signs of him letting me know he was struggling, but I would have known. I'm his best friend and he is mine."
Peter, who works at Salford Royal Hospital alongside wife Michelle, was last seen wearing navy coloured joggers, walking shoe type trainers and a grey Mountain Equipment hoodie with a red zip and a hat. He is described as being 5ft 10ins in height, with grey hair, and a tattoo on the left side of his neck that says 'Michelle'. He is also wearing his wedding ring.
You can call 101 or use the Live Chat function on our website www.gmp.police.uk. You can also provide information anonymously via the independent charity – Crimestoppers – on 0800 555 111.
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