Fresh police search in Gibraltar for Royal Navy sailor who went missing from Portsmouth ship 37 years ago

Simon Parkes, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986 when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, was docked in the territory before returning to Portsmouth days later - his disappearance a mystery. His disappearance has previously been part of investigations by Hampshire police into serial killer Allan Grimson, a former petty officer, who was jailed for life for the murder of two young men and who was serving on board the aircraft carrier at the same time as the 18-year-old.

Following new information, officers from Hampshire Constabulary have now returned to the Town Range car park where it carried out previous investigations in August 2023. Police have also previously carried out digs at a cemetery in the British Overseas Territory. A force spokesman said: “Officers investigating the disappearance of a young sailor more than 30 years ago are carrying out a small amount of further excavation work at Town Range car park in Gibraltar as we follow a potential further line of enquiry.

“A working group led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, comprised of detectives and specially trained search officers both from the police and military, will be carrying out the work in Gibraltar during the week of 15 January as we continue to investigate what happened to Simon Parkes.

“The operational activity is part of our work to assess a new line of enquiry that has been presented to us. “This latest activity follows work carried out in August 2023 where a small amount of excavation work was undertaken at Town Range car park.

“Whilst nothing was found to progress the investigation a further potential area of interest within the car park was identified to us. This investigation continues to be a collaborative operation between Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Royal Gibraltar Police with support from the Ministry of Defence.”

The spokesman added: “Royal Navy Rating Parkes, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986, when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, was docked in Gibraltar. The 18-year-old radio operator went on to shore but never made it back on board and when the ship returned to Portsmouth days later, no one knew what had happened to him despite a huge manhunt to find him. Since then investigations into his disappearance have so far failed to find answers for his long-suffering parents.”

Grimson was jailed in 2001 at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of naval rating Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicestershire, and barman Sion Jenkins from Newbury, Berkshire. Grimson lured them 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 Mr Parkes went missing in Gibraltar. He has always denied being involved in the disappearance of Mr Parkes.