Simon Parkes: More police searches for missing Royal Navy sailor being carried out in Gibraltar

The 18-year-old rating vanished after a run ashore at Gibraltar while he was based on HMS Illustrious. The aircraft carrier returned to Portsmouth without Simon, a radio operator, and mystery still surrounds his disappearance.

Last year Hampshire police detectives and forensic archaeologists found bone fragments in Trafalgar Cemetery on the British Overseas Territory.

Now a senior detective, leading the murder probe, has said investigators are still ‘awaiting those results’ done on the fragments.

They were found in the digs carried out at the end of November into December last year.

New areas of interest have been found in the cemetery. Royal Gibraltar Police, who said they want to provide ‘closure' for Simon's parents, will conduct the searches over a fortnight.

Hampshire investigator Detective Inspector Adam Edwards said: ‘These searches are a continuation of our investigation into the disappearance of Simon Parkes.

‘We owe it to him and his family to ensure we have followed every legitimate line of enquiry in a bid to give them the answers they have been waiting 30 years for.

'The searches in December proved successful with regards to generating new lines of enquiry and these new searches are as a result of those.

‘While we did find bone material during our time out there in December, forensic testing on this takes time and we are still awaiting those results.’

Simon’s parents, Bristol-based Margaret and David, last heard from their son on December 5, 1986 and have previously told The News of how they try to ‘survive’ their loss despite ‘heightened grief and stress’. Simon vanished on December 12 that year.

Det Insp Edwards added: ‘We have worked closely with our colleagues at Royal Gibraltar Police to plan this latest operation and we will be in constant contact with them throughout this next phase.

‘We have kept Mr and Mrs Parkes informed of our progress and I’d like to thank them again for their support.

‘We know this remains a difficult time for them and we hope our work will finally bring them the answers they so desperately want.’

READ NEXT: How the investigation for Simon Parkes progressed before 2019 search was launched

Questions were raised in a documentary about whether serial killer Allan Grimson was linked to Simon’s death. He served on Illustrious and killed in 1997 and 1998.

He murdered 18-year-old naval rating Nicholas Wright and 20-year-old barman Sion Jenkins after luring them to his Portsmouth flat.

Police said the Royal Navy is supporting the latest investigation.

A statement said the search ‘will see specialist teams from Royal Gibraltar Police spend another fortnight at the site to ensure all possibilities have been fully investigated’.

Detective Inspector John Olivera of the Royal Gibraltar Police said: ‘We continue to work closely with Hampshire Constabulary on the investigation in order to follow all new lines of enquiry in a bid to provide Simon’s family with some closure.

‘Over the next two weeks, the public in Gibraltar can expect to see a large police presence in and around the area of the Trafalgar cemetery, whilst the search operation is ongoing.’

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