A heartbroken family have launched a desperate search to trace a dad, who was last seen nearly three decades ago. Robert Mitchell, 73, has been missing since 1994, after moving from his birthplace of Paisley to London five years earlier.
The family believe that the father-of-two was living in the Peckham or Croydon area of the city when he went missing. His daughter, Jena, now 36, last spoke to dad Robert when she was just eight years old.
Posting in Paisley pages, Jena says she was able to track down Robert's brother, who hadn't heard from the dad since the funeral of their grandma in 1983. Together the two have launched an appeal to trace the missing Scot.
"We used to live in Paisley in Scotland, just outside of Glasgow," Jen told MyLondon. "My dad was living with my mum until I was three. He moved to London and continued to be in a relationship with my mum until I was about five. He would come up to Scotland every now and then and give me and my brother presents."
"I don't know why he moved to London, but I think he wanted a fresh start and was living by himself. We kept in contact, but I last spoke to him when I was about eight, and my younger brother was around five.
"I had his mobile number and one day it was off when I tried to phone. I haven't had any connection since then. I was upset when his phone was off and I couldn't get hold of him," Jena added.
She says she didn't know the avenues to report a missing person and no one else reported Robert missing at the time. She also says she never brought it up around her mum.
Jena said: "My mum moved on with my stepdad so it was hard and she didn't have any connections with anyone he was living with at the time. I also had no one to get in contact with on my dad's side. They didn't even know we existed."
But that was until she put a post on a missing person group in July, when was then shared on local Paisley pages and seen by Robert's brother, Jena's uncle, Unfortunately, he hadn't heard from his missing sibling for nearly 40 years, but teamed up with his newly-discovered niece to try and track Robert down.
"My uncle hasn't spoken to Robert since their grandma's funeral in 1983," she said. "My dad was with us for 10 years and left again. It's brilliant to have him in my life and now I have a connection. We've pretty much spoken every day on the phone and he said I'll always have an uncle now."
Jena says she attempted to report her dad as missing to the police but was told "they wouldn't be able to help". She added: "They aren't concerned for his welfare. They might be able to trace him through his national insurance number but can't because of data protection.
"As it's a historical report, they would have to go to court and ask for permission to disclose his information. By the time I found out I had to report him as missing, it's now too late."
Jena says it would mean the world to be reunited with her dad. She said: "We've never had a real father figure and we've always wanted that since we were kids. Now I have a daughter too and I'd like her to know her grandad."
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