Police have released new CCTV footage showing the last known movements of a missing 19-year-old university student who vanished eight days ago.
Final Sightings Captured on Camera
The footage shows Tom Dingle, a student from Lancaster University, walking in his home village of Appley Bridge, near Wigan. He was last officially spotted on Stonemill Rise at around 12.30am on Saturday, December 13.
The newly released video captures him a short time later, at approximately 12.40am, walking along Mill Lane before turning onto Appley Lane. Tom was reportedly staying at his family home in the village prior to his disappearance.
Family's Desperate Plea and Ongoing Search
His family have described the agonising wait as 'like we're in hell'. In an emotional press conference last week, his mother, Susan Dingle, made a direct appeal: 'Please come home Tom. We love you so much and we miss you desperately. Every day it gets harder. Just please come back to us.'
She revealed that an 'innocuous message' from Tom first sparked concern, and that he may have deliberately misled them about his direction. 'Maybe he intended to throw us off because he knew we'd come after him,' she said.
The family emphasised they are not angry, only worried. 'He needs to understand that we are not in any way angry,' Ms Dingle added.
Large-Scale Search Operation Continues
A major search operation involving police drones, mountain rescue teams, and search dogs has been scouring the local area. Lancaster Police have stated their enquiries are 'very much ongoing' and they are 'doing everything in our powers to find Tom'.
Tom is described as 5ft 10in tall with short black hair and an athletic build. When last seen, he was wearing a black Carhartt jacket, black jeans, black Doc Marten shoes, and was carrying a backpack. It is understood he had been grieving a recent bereavement.
Police are urgently appealing for anyone with CCTV, dashcam, or any other footage of the Stonemill Rise and Appley Lane North area between 12.30am and 3am on Saturday, December 13, to come forward.
