Police have widened their search for an RAF serviceman who has been missing for more than a week as his family expressed fears that he has been kidnapped. Corrie McKeague, 23, based at RAF Honington, has not been seen since the early hours of 24 September in the Bury St Edmunds area of Suffolk.
Police have issued CCTV footage of the town centre where McKeague was last seen, as well as images of a pink Ralph Lauren polo shirt and brown suede Timberland boots of the type he was thought to have been wearing before his disappearance.
Searches have been conducted along the A134 in the 10 miles between Bury St Edmunds and Honington and have been extended further afield by the RAF, Suffolk Police, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue, and the National Police Helicopter.
McKeagues family told of how police have not ruled out the possibility he may have been kidnapped. Bury St Edmunds is 30 miles away from RAF Marham, where two men allegedly attempted to kidnap an RAF servicemen by attacking him and trying to bundle him into a car in July.
McKeagues mother, Nicola Urquhart, told The Sunday Times the possibility of a kidnap has been mentioned by the police and its not something they would rule out.
She added: Its looking more and more suspicious as time goes on that theyre not actually finding him. It [kidnapping] is something that theyre thinking of. Obviously it is something theyre looking at, but its certainly not something theyre shouting about to me.
Suffolk police said that there was no evidence of any third-party involvement at this stage, however we have to keep an open mind and there was currently no evidence to suggest that there was any link to the recent incident at RAF Marham.
Police believe McKeague may have been in the Mildenhall area at some point between 4.30am and 8am on Saturday 24 September. Mildenhall is a small market town where there is another RAF base about 15 miles north-west of Bury St Edmunds. Police would like to hear from anyone who may have seen or spoken to a man matching Corries description in this area around this time.
Chief Inspector Steve Denham of Suffolk Police said: This behaviour is totally out of character for Corrie and we are very concerned for his welfare.
We are still examining CCTV in Bury St Edmunds town centre and urging any friends or members of the public who may have seen or spoken to Corrie over the course of the evening of Friday 23 September and the early hours of Saturday 24 September in Bury St Edmunds to come forward.
We are also appealing for people or drivers in the local area or further afield who may have seen him after our last confirmed sighting of him on Brentgovel Street at 3.20am to contact us.
Any information or conversation could be significant at this stage of the enquiry as we continue to piece together his movements.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: We can confirm that an RAF serviceman from RAF Honington is currently missing; our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time. The civilian police have primacy in this matter and we understand that the investigation is ongoing. It would not be appropriate for the MoD to comment or speculate on the case at this time.
McKeague is described as white, 5ft 10ins, of medium build, with short light brown hair.
Anyone with any information should contact Suffolk Police on 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
