Police probe potential new lead in mysterious case of missing Royal Navy sailor Simon Parkes, who disappeared in Gibraltar in 1986

Mystery has surrounded what happened to the 18-year-old radio operator who vanished on the Rock more than 30 years ago having arrived onboard HMS Illustrious in December 1986. Simon, from Bristol, was on shore leave in Gibraltar on the last stop before returning to Portsmouth.

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After arriving in Gibraltar Simon left his passport and gifts for family and friends in his locker, before heading into town. After spending the day drinking, he left his crewmates at the Horseshoe Pub on Main Street at 10.30pm saying he was going to get some food before returning to the ship in the Naval Base – but he was never seen or heard of again.

Murderer Allan Grimson also served on Illustrious at the same time before he was convicted and jailed for the brutal murder of two ratings he lured back to his Portsmouth flat in 1997 and 1998. They were both murdered on the same day one year apart on December 12 - the exact day Simon went missing in Gibraltar. Grimson served 22 years in the senior service travelling the globe. But he was secretly a murderer who would later tell police killing was ‘better than sex’.

In September 2020, new searches were carried out at Trafalgar Cemetery by Royal Gibraltar Police but they said bone fragments found were from an animal.

Now detectives are investigating new information resulting in the Royal Gibraltar Police carrying out Ground Penetrating Radar scans last weekend at a previously unsearched area of the Rock, according to Gibraltar media outlet GBC News. This is expected to be followed by a full-scale forensic dig in the coming months with the hope it will finally lead to the discovery of Simon’s remains, the publisher reported.

A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: ‘The investigation is ongoing and we are following lines of enquiry, working with the Royal Gibraltar Police acting on our behalf.‘Anyone with information about the disappearance of Royal Navy Rating Simon Parkes can call us on 101, quoting Operation Thornhill, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.’

GBC Journalist Ros Astengo, who is writing a book on the case, said: ‘I felt desperately sad for David and Margaret, who have been so brave over the years in their search for answers about their missing son. I thought a book might offer them some comfort in knowing his story would never be forgotten. I never expected to come across a new lead, but I really hope my work will bring them the peace they deserve.’

Simon’s parents David and Margaret Parkes visited Gibraltar last year for a tree planting in their son’s memory. Margaret, 77, told GBC: ‘It’s hard to think so many years have gone by, and we still think of Simon every day. This latest investigation feels like it’s our last chance to find him and to bring him home.’

Det Insp Adam Edwards previously said after searches came to nothing in 2020: ‘We know this remains a difficult time for them and we hope our work will finally bring them the answers they so desperately want.’

The Royal Gibraltar Police and Royal Navy are involved in the British police investigation.