A total of 180,000 people are reported missing in the UK each year – that's one person every 90 minutes. And, while the vast majority are found and reunited with their families, that is not true in every case.
The people listed below all went missing in Wales and have yet to be found. Some have been gone for weeks, other for years.
But, regardless of the length of time, the pain for those left behind to worry and wonder what's become of them never diminishes. They still hope that, one day, their loved ones will turn up or get in touch. You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Thomas Bates
Officers from Gwent Police say that Thomas Bates was last seen on Thursday, March 2, and they are appealing for public help in trying to trace the 30-year-old.
Thomas, who is from the Stourport-on-Severn area and has links to south Wales, and was last seen in the Tesco Superstore in Chepstow at around 9.30pm. The dad-of-two - who has another baby on the way - is described as 5ft 9ins tall, of slim build, with a shaved head and tattoos of song lyrics and phrases on both arms.
He was last seen wearing a grey coat with fur around the hood, a light grey hooded jumper, black jogging bottoms, white trainers and a baseball cap.
Martin Clatworthy
Martin has not been seen since the afternoon of Tuesday, March 7, in the village of Blaenrhondda near Treorchy. He is described as 5ft 7ins tall with brown eyes and short, dark hair. When he was last seen he was wearing black jeans and a black fleece.
Members of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue were recently called in by South Wales Police to help with the search for him during a period of snow and heavy rain. They were also helped by members of the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team.
After hours of searching in "challenging conditions," the search was stood down earlier this month. Police now say they are "growing increasingly concerned for his welfare" and have issued a renewed appeal for information concerning his whereabouts.
Eryl Reeves
68-year-old Eryl was reported missing on November 29 last year after her husband Dennis returned home from work and found her gone. That same afternoon, police launched an urgent appeal after her car was found, left unlocked, at St Govans Head in Pembrokeshire.
Three days later, the lifeboat found Eryl's light blue puffa jacket in the water at the base of the cliffs. Her body has still not been found although Dennis hasn't given up all hope.
James Nutley
The golfing enthusiast disappeared without a trace on October 24, 2004, while on a break in Tenby with friends. The 25-year-old was last seen crossing a road around midnight. In 2017 his family made a fresh appeal for information to mark 13 years since his disappearance.
Roger Simons
Roger Simons was 78 years old when he went missing. He was last seen on May 18, 2022, in Glynneath. If you have any information on his whereabouts you can contact South Wales Police quoting the reference 2200166072.
Tapiwa Matuwi
The IT graduate known as Tapi went missing from Swansea. The 21-year-old was last seen on February 7, 2019, after a night out in the city centre. His family have made numerous appeals for him to come home. Footage released by South Wales Police shortly after Tapi's disappearance showed him entering McDonald's in Oxford Street before he was captured outside the restaurant heading towards Caer Street, New Cut Road, and Quay Parade.
The last known sighting of Tapi came at 7.06am at Swansea Yacht Club around two and a half hours after he was last active on his WhatsApp account. If you have any information about where Tapi may be you can contact South Wales Police quoting reference number 1900051830.
Christine Jacinta Bracken
Christine went missing during a shopping trip to Swansea city centre on May 19, 1979. Her handbag was found on the town beach the following day and inside was a birthday present she had just bought for her mother. A major missing person investigation was launched but what happened to the woman that day remains a mystery more than four decades later.
Christina Bracken was 38 and originally from the village of Ballacolla in Ireland. She was a nun at Swansea's Stella Maris Convent and described by someone who knew her as "a dear little creature, a lovely soul. Dreadfully shy to the point of being timid." Anyone with information can contact South Wales Police quoting reference 62080064769.
Glyn Griffiths
Glyn was last seen on the evening of Sunday, June 20, 2021. He was 60 years old at the time.
Earlier that day, between midday and 12.45pm, CCTV footage showed him outside Asda in Caerphilly. On Saturday, June 26, Gwent Police issued an appeal to help locate Mr Griffiths' car – a black Suzuki Grand Vitara. It was later found on July 28 at Heol y Dderwen, Nantgarw, locked and with Glyn nowhere in sight.
Despite extensive searching by his family, Gwent Police, and the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team Glyn's whereabouts are still unknown. His cousin, Kathleen Robinson, said Glyn had been a carer for his mum who has had dementia since 2016. She said he "idolised" his mum and that it was out of character for Glyn to stop visiting her.
Gwent Police described Glyn as 5ft 9ins tall and of a slim build with grey hair. Anyone with information can contact the force quoting 2100221975.
Lorraine Ridout
The lives of Lorraine's family changed forever on January 31, 2016, when Lorraine left her home in Gabalfa, Cardiff, and was never seen or heard from again. The 57-year-old gran had only gone to visit a friend in a nearby street but Lorraine never made her destination and her fate has remained unknown to her family.
Despite extensive searches in the area which involved South Wales Police, National Crime Agency, British Transport Police, National Police Air Service, and horse and dog units nothing has been found. Anybody with information who has yet to come forward is asked to contact South Wales Police via 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference *036372.
David Clwyd Davies
David Clwyd Davies from Wrexham was last seen on April 6, 2013, which was a week after he was banned from keeping horses for five years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering. Mr Davies, then 69, was the subject of a Channel Four documentary for keeping horses and was reported missing after failing to turn up for an appointment and has not been seen since.
Jordan Moray
Jordan Moray was 33 when he went missing on July 24, 2019, from his home in Cwmbach, Aberdare. His front door had been left unlocked, his PlayStation was still running, and his mobile phone was on charge. His distraught mum made a desperate appeal for Jordan to make contact in 2020. Jordan’s disappearance was completely out of character and it sparked immediate concern among family, friends, and police.
A huge search followed which involved specialist search teams and members of the community searching surrounding mountainsides and waterways for clues as to what may have happened to him. The search effort even reached as far as the Brecon Beacons because of his love of the outdoors and especially that part of the world. In March 2021 police disclosed they had been contacted two months earlier “by a man who claims to have spoken to Jordan in the Stratford-upon-Avon area”.
A South Wales Police spokesman said at the time: “He stumbled upon an appeal to find Jordan on the police website and recognised him straightaway. He told officers that the man who he believes was Jordan had told him that he sleeps rough and had been living ‘off the grid’ for 18 months – [and] also told him that he was from Wales.”
Detective inspector Gareth Davies said: “We have spoken to the man in Stratford-upon-Avon who is quite confident that the person he was speaking to was Jordan. Since he went missing we have never ruled anything out and we can’t be certain that it was Jordan himself. But, of course, this potential sighting gives tremendous hope to everybody involved in the search that Jordan is alive and well.
“We, or his family, must be able to see and or speak to Jordan in person to determine that he is okay. I am appealing to Jordan himself and urge him to make contact. However I appreciate that if he is living off the grid then the chances of him seeing this appeal are slim.
“So anybody who thinks they may have seen him should contact us immediately. And anybody who sees him after reading this appeal should urge Jordan to contact his family or the police to confirm he is safe and well.”
Owain Roberts
Owain, 36, a guitarist with Welsh band The Reasoning, was last spotted out walking at 11am on March 10, 2012, not far from his Cardigan hometown. He was heading to meet his father near a church in Mwnt but failed to show up. He has not been seen since. His family have already said they feared he was suffering with depression.
Tony Haigh
The then 49-year-old dad vanished out of the blue in Holyhead on Friday, February 23, 2018.
Justin Mathis
Justin vanished on February 3 2011, in Conwy aged 28. A massive search operation was launched involving the North Wales Police helicopter and underwater search team but his body was never found. A few days later, however, one of his boots was discovered near the River Conwy in Deganwy. An inquest in February 2014 recorded an open conclusion. The coroner said he could not speculate but it was likely that Mr Mathis had fallen into the water.
Catrin Maguire
The then-22-year-old, who had no known mental health issues, went missing on Monday, November 15, 2021. Her parents Gerry and Wendy said Catrin had joined friends the previous Saturday for a movie night and socialised as normal.
The Bangor University student was due to meet one of those friends in the city on the Monday to sign for a flat tenancy but she never turned up. Instead she bought a return ticket that morning to Holyhead – the Anglesey town where her family live – and was reportedly last seen at 1.18pm walking near the RSPB South Stack Café.
Catrin is around 5ft 5ins tall with a slim build. Her parents, who have vowed never to give up on their search, are urging anyone with information to call North Wales Police on 101 quoting reference Z167766.
Roger Evans
Roger went missing from Aberystwyth in January 1996. He was 46 at the time.
William Davies
William went missing from Perthcelyn, Cynon Valley, in February 1997. His was just 16 at the time of his disappearance.
Jerome Thomas
The parents of Jerome Thomas were devastated when the 15-year-old left his home in Gwbert, Cardigan, on New Year's Day in 2001. Jerome, who would now be 36, is described as having an athletic build with an olive-skinned complexion. He has a small quarter-of-an-inch scar which starts below his left nostril and goes across to his cheek. Over the years there have been a few unconfirmed sightings including one in Portugal.
Jaymie James
Jaymie James was reported missing at about 4.30pm on Sunday, October 15, 2017. He was 49 years old at the time. He was last seen at about 12pm on Friday, October 13, in Tan y Coed, Pontypool. He hasn't been seen since then and police at the time said they were concerned for his wellbeing.
Mark Harris
Mark Harris went missing from Cardigan on June 13, 2022. He was 64 years old at the time.
Cuong Tran
Cuong Tran has been missing from Cardiff since September 12, 2018.
Michael Cox
Michael Cox was 45 when he went missing from Bridgend. He was last seen on November 18, 2011.
Thomas Constance
The then 69-year-old, who is also known as Jim Constance, was reported missing from Conwy Harbour by his friends. He was last seen on December 5, 2018. His dinghy, used to travel to and from his boat on the marina, was found washed up at the nearby RSPB Nature Reserve on Wednesday, December 12, that year. It is understood that personal belongings including his glasses and mobile phone were later discovered on the pontoon where he moored his boat.
Kevin Thomas
Kevin was reported missing on March 1, 2011. Police officers believe he was last seen at the Ladbrokes in Swansea city centre’s Union Street the day before. He was 45 at the time of his disappearance, is 5ft 8in with grey hair, and was last seen wearing his council work uniform. If you have information about where Kevin could be you can contact South Wales Police quoting reference 62110069590.
Edele Tipping
Edele has been missing since July 10, 2019. The 40-year-old was last seen in Abersoch, Gwynedd.
David Jones
David was last seen in Carmarthenshire before he went missing on December 8, 2010. He was 38 years old at the time.
Parvin Singh
Parvin Singh, from Canton, Cardiff, was last seen at his hotel, the four-star El Hana Palace Hotel in Port El Kantaoui, on Thursday, March 24, 2011. The 53-year-old left all his belongings, including passport and medication, and failed to catch the return flight home to Cardiff International Airport. Anyone with information can contact South Wales Police quoting reference 62110104384.
Andrew John Rosser
Andrew John Rosser was 34 when he went missing from his home address in School Road, Melyn, Neath, on June 24, 2008.
He regularly went walking with friends in the Brecon Beacons and Neath Valley and was familiar with these areas.
He had a driving licence but his car remained at his address at the time of his disappearance. He was described at the time as being 5ft 8ins tall with light brown shaven hair and of stocky build and green-eyed. Anyone with information can contact South Wales Police quoting reference 62080228881.
Robert Williams
Robert failed to return home on the night of March 22, 2002. At the time there was a frantic search of the streets around Resolven to find him. He was just 15 years old.
In July 2010 police issued a picture of how Robert would look aged 23 in a fresh bid for information. In 2022 he would have turned 35. Anyone with information can contact South Wales Police quoting reference 62070210819.
Dobir Miah
Dobir Miah has not been seen since he took a taxi to Neath from his home in Swansea on June 8, 2002. He was 30 years old. At the time his brother Kabir, wife, and two children were completely baffled by his disappearance and very concerned for his safety. Anyone with information can contact South Wales Police quoting reference 62070240985.
Tim Evans
Tim was reported missing on March 29, 2018, at around 11.30pm. The last known sighting of him was at his home address in Llandudno at 5.30am that day. He was 58 at the time of his disappearance.
David Hugh Jones
David went missing from Tre'r Ddol, between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth, on November 15, 2019. The 54-year-old is described as being 5ft 10ins tall, of medium build, and with dark short brown hair.
He is said to enjoy walking the country paths near his home on the outskirts of Snowdonia and has connections to north Wales and Birmingham. Dyfed-Powys Police said David left his car is at home so may be travelling on foot or using public transport.
Missing People is the only charity in the UK which is dedicated to bringing missing children and adults back together with their families. They can be contacted for help and support here.
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