A mum who has spent the last 25 years searching for the truth about her son's death has described the anguish of spending another Christmas without him.
As ever, the family of Ricky Reel will set a place at their festive table for him, but once again, his mother feels she will have little to say on making progress in finding justice for her absent son.
Ricky, from West London, was just 20 when he told his mum Sukhdev Reel that he was going out with three of his friends on October 14, 1997.
The group of friends, who are all South Asian, say they were subjected to a racist attack by two white men, who reportedly shouted at them "P***s go home" before throwing punches at them.
In the chaos, they all split up and when three of the friends regrouped, they couldn't find Ricky.
His body was found in the River Thames on October 21, 1997, and no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with his death.
Ricky's mum Sukhdev Reel has been fighting for justice ever since and has told The Mirror that publishing her book 'Ricky Reel: Silence is Not an Option' and receiving a human rights award for her fight for justice were positive things to happen this year - but don't compare to finding the truth.
Mrs Reel had been optimistic that she would have had a chance to meet the Metropolitan Police Commissioner before Christmas, but now says she will have to look at Ricky's empty chair at the dinner table with no news to tell him about his case.
Mrs Reel said: "It is a difficult time of year, my son Ricky is always the one missing from the family gathering and it is very hard to get through this festive season without him.
"If I had an appointment to meet the commissioner it would have been made easier to deal with. I would have felt that we have been listened to and maybe move forward with a new investigation to finally find out the truth about Ricky’s death.
"And now all the children and grandchildren will be sitting around Ricky’s empty chair. I can't say anything to the empty chair because I have nothing to tell my son.
"Things have changed a lot this year with my new book titled 'Ricky Reel: Silence is not an Option' and the award for my contribution to human rights.
"I am grateful but that is nothing compared to getting justice so we could have some peace during Christmas time and enjoy this period like other families.
"But we carry on to get justice for Ricky and all the other families who are in the same situation to get answers and peace. There is no peace without justice."
In October, the Mirror revealed Mrs Reel was contacted by someone in July claiming to know who killed her son Ricky and that it was racially motivated.
Ricky's case has remained open after a jury inquest ruled an "open verdict" in 1999, meaning it can never be closed.
The campaign has been requesting a face-to-face meeting with the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to push for a new investigation into the case.
In October, a Met Police spokesperson confirmed they had received the information and they are making "arrangements to meet Ricky’s family in due course".
If this new information proves to be credible then the campaign can apply to reopen the inquest.
Mrs Reel said: "Justice is the only thing I can cling to and I promise I will not give up I make that promise to Ricky every Christmas as his empty chair will not let me rest and I always question myself 'why is Ricky not in his chair with the family?'
"How do you get justice when the head of the institutions is not meeting with us to resolve this case? Without them, I cannot move forward.
"My family still prepare for Christmas because of the young children but for me, I am in limbo, where do I go? where do I fit? What do I do?
“What excuse to give for shedding tears?"
Putting her own torment aside however, Mrs Reel was keen to pass on festive goodwill to Mirror readers, saying: "I wish everyone a Happy and a Peaceful Christmas."
The family have been failed by police multiple times in the past 25 years.
At at the time of Ricky's death, police concluded that he had fallen into the Thames accidentally while trying to urinate and must have drowned.
However it later emerged at the inquest that police did not collect any forensic evidence from the scene or from Ricky's clothes.
Police made the assumtion about Ricky having fallen in while urinating because the buttons on his jeans were open. However, the inquest heard from family and experts that Ricky had a phobia of open water and that it was common for clothes to open and loosen in water.
The inquest heard that police did not collect vital CCTV in time or speak to potential witnesses until months after Ricky's death - meaning any chance of finding crucial clues was missed.
Mrs Reel has maintained that police did not take the case seriously and failed to gather crucial evidence because of Ricky's race.
She previously told The Mirror: "They (police) didn't prioritise it from day one. They didn't believe us.
"They belittled us simply because of the colour of my skin. Had I been white the treatment would have been very different.
"They never believed the racial attack happened. They never connected it."
In 1998, a Police Complaints Authority (PCA) report (now the Independent Office for Police Conduct) - which has never been made public - found there were "weaknesses" within the organisation that led to the "neglect" from the investigating officers.
John McDonnell, Mrs Reel's Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, used his parliamentary privilege to reveal the contents of the report in the House of Commons in 1998.
In 2014, Mrs Reel and the campaign were notified that they had been under surveillance as part of "collateral intrusion".
On the 25th anniversary of Ricky's death, the police put out a renewed appeal.
Police urge anyone with information to contact them on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
Mrs Reel's book Rick Reel: Silence Is Not An Option can be bought here.
