Damien Nettles family appeal for information 30 years after disappearance

The family of Damien Nettles has appealed for information on the 30th anniversary of his disappearance on the Isle of Wight. Channel 5 reported that Nettles was 16 when he vanished on 2 November 1996. The channel also reported that nine men have been arrested over the years and all were released without charge.

Valerie, Damien's mother, joined Channel 5 from Texas, while his aunt Sally-Ann Austin was in the studio. Valerie told the programme that Damien was 'a very sweet, sweet-natured boy'. Channel 5 reported that she described him as happy-go-lucky and said he was working towards his A-levels and planning for university. She said his disappearance was out of character and that police initially thought he might have walked away.

Channel 5 reported that Valerie's husband dropped Damien at a friend's house at 7.30pm. The channel said Damien had spent half term in Suffolk visiting a girl and had returned via Portsmouth, where he stayed with his sister at Portsmouth University. It reported that they had been shopping for guitar strings and a book, and that he was making plans for the following days. Valerie told Channel 5 that he waved goodbye at 7.30pm and that was the last time the family saw him.

Sally-Ann Austin told Channel 5 that Damien was a class clown and that they would talk in silly voices on the phone. She said: 'It's incredibly distressing. Very, very upsetting. We never thought that we would be here.' Channel 5 reported that the last footage of Damien came from a chip shop and was found by a family friend who happened to go in.

Valerie told Channel 5 that she was angry at not getting the investigation she assumed would follow. She said she tried to be proactive and act as a conduit for information, but did not have a liaison officer to pass information to the investigative team. 'I was angry that I wasn't getting the, I wasn't getting the investigation that I assumed that I would get,' she said.

Channel 5 reported that Hampshire Police said they understood the family's concerns about the standards of the initial investigation. The force said it received a complaint in 2016 and two elements were upheld following an investigation, and that a detailed apology was provided to Damien's family. Channel 5 gave contact details for Hampshire Police and the charity Missing People, whose helpline is 116 000.