FRANTIC SEARCH 

Map reveals last sightings of boy, 14, missing for 12 days & feared to have ‘entered river’ after shoes found 500m apart

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Collage of a missing person's photo, a map of the search area near River Taw in Barnstaple, and a photo of search and rescue teams in a grassy fieldA 14-year-old boy who has been missing for two weeks may have entered a river, with cops finding a pair of shoes nearby the water.

Taylor Charlton, 14, went missing in Barnstaple, Devon, on May 8, with police recently finding a pair of shoes 500m apart during an extensive search for the teen.

Illustration showing a map of the last sightings of a missing 14-year-old boy in the UK.
A map showing Taylor’s last seen location and where officers found a pair of shoes believed to be his
 

A young man with dark hair, a mustache, wearing a blue Nike t-shirt and ripped light-wash jeans.
Taylor Charlton, 14, went missing 12 days agoCredit: Devon & Cornwall Police
Devon and Cornwall Police believe that the boy may have entered the water, which has now led to a search of the River Taw area.

He was last spotted at a Tesco Extra car park on Station Road at around 10.30pm on the Friday.

He was reported missing the following day at 5.15pm and a large-scale operation was developed to track him down.

Officers began reviewing CCTV footage from the area and carried out door-to-door witness inquiries.

Coastguard Rescue members walking on a paved path next to a river.
A search crew was pictured next to the River TawCredit: Devon & Cornwall Police
 

Police officers search a grassy field near a body of water during a missing person investigation.
Police officers were seen searching a fielded areaCredit: Devon & Cornwall Police
A pair of shoes, believed to belong to Taylor, were found on two consecutive days on the high tide line of the riverbank.

They were discovered 480m apart in between Sticklepath and Bickington.

Specialist units, drones and a police helicopter have been deployed to the River Taw and estuary in the hope that they may find further clues as to Taylor’s disappearance.

Police teams have been pictured scouring the nearby fields and the riverbanks.

He is described as 5ft 8ins tall, of muscular build, with dark brown hair and a moustache.

He was last seen wearing a bright blue fitted top, jeans and bright blue Nike shoes.

Sector Inspector Andy Wills said: “While a highly visible search operation has been taking place to find Taylor, a substantial number of detectives, officers and staff have also been continuing enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

“All avenues of enquiry remain open.

“A hypothesis that Taylor may have entered the water has resulted in searches being concentrated on the River Taw area.

“Currently, the last confirmed sighting we have of Taylor was captured on CCTV showing him heading in the direction of the river.

“Shoes we believe belong to Taylor were found on two consecutive days on the high tide line of the riverbank, some 480m apart, between Sticklepath and Bickington.

“Our search teams have covered a vast area of the river and estuary. This is a challenging location with a significant movement of water on each tide.

“We are extremely grateful for the public response to our appeal so far, and we still urge anyone with information to contact us.

“If you are out searching, please help us by keeping yourselves safe.

“We are aware of continued speculation on social media and would remind people to avoid sharing any unconfirmed information online as this can make our investigation more challenging.”

The police are calling for anyone with information on Taylor’s whereabouts to contact it on 999, quoting reference number 50260117084.