Divers search canal as fears grow for missing Blackburn dad (From This Is Lancashire)

Divers search canal as fears grow for missing Blackburn dad

12:00pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in News

POLICE divers combed part of a canal as worries deepen for a missing man.

Officers have carried out high profile searches for 28-year-old David Young since he went missing 12 days ago.

Yesterday specially trained police divers scoured 200 metres of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, near the Albion Street canal bridge in Blackburn.

Today sonar equipment is expected to be used as more of the canal is searched.

Mr Young, a father of six-year-old twin boys, was last seen alive on October 17 after visiting the Co-op on Livesey Branch Road at around 10.30pm.

Detectives said they were ‘keeping an open mind’ about what had happened to the popular dad, but confirmed the divers had been searching for a body.

DIB Mark Vaughton, of Blackburn CID, said: “It is very concerning that nobody has heard from Mr Young in 12 days. But we are keeping an open mind.

“His family say this behaviour is very strange for him.

“At this stage we have nothing to suggest there is anything criminal relating to Mr Young’s disappearance.

“Our inquiries are still very firmly ongoing but we are very concerned.

“Our search will continue today (Tues) and divers will be using sonar equipment to search deeper into the canal.”

Mr Young has not used his bank cards since he has been missing, police said.

His Nokia mobile phone was found in Albion Street by a male passer-by who proceeded to call the last dialled number in the phone, a close friend of Mr Young’s.

DIB Vaughton said: “We have concentrated the search at the canal after our inquiries revealed that a man found a mobile phone owned by Mr Young shortly after 10.30pm on October 17.

“We are still very much trying to find this man as he may hold some clues about what happened to Mr Young prior to him finding the phone.

“This man isn’t in trouble. We just want to talk to him.

“I urge this man to come forward and contact police.”

The family of the former Our Lady and St John Catholic Arts College pupil are treating ‘no news as good news’.

David’s mum Jacqueline Marsden, 52, said: “We are doing our best to remain positive.

“He has never disappeared like this before and he is a really popular person. He is always the life and soul of the party, people can’t help love him.

“I don’t believe he is hurt. I think he is somewhere with friends we don’t know, completely unaware we are all so worried.

“David is a quiet person, who is close to his family, which makes all this so hard. If anyone knows where he is I urge them to come forward.”

The search comes days after more than 50 family and friends unsuccessfully tried combing the town for clues.

David, known as ‘Youngy’, to his friends, stayed with a number of friends before he disappeared.

Officers from the Operations Support Unit with help from Bowland Mountain Rescue Team have also trawler the towpath and vegetation around the water near to Albion Street.

They also searched the Infirmary area, and the canal to Top Lock at Feniscowles in the other.

Mr Young is described as white, 5ft 9ins tall with short dark hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt with a blue and black stripey jumper and Adidas tracksuit bottoms when he was last seen.

Earlier this month the body of Andrew O’Neil was discovered by an angler in the canal near Cherry Tree Cricket Club.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 11.