Detectives have launched a fresh appeal over the disappearance of an “outgoing and sociable” 32-year-old who went missing more than a week ago – possibly on his way to a party.
Police say they are growing increasingly concerned that missing Nathan Cole, from Notting Hill in west London, “may have come to harm”.
Mr Cole, was last seen in the Walthamstow area of northeast London at 23.17pm on Saturday, 21 January, having earlier visited a shop in the area to buy four cans of beer.
He may have travelled to the area to meet with friends or to attend a party or gathering, according to Detective Sergeant Julie Morrow from the Metropolitan Police‘s Central West Missing Persons Unit.
She said: “More than a week has gone by since Nathan’s family had any contact with him.
“They are obviously extremely worried and while we are doing all we can to support them we really need the public’s help as we continue our search.
“We hope very much that we will find Nathan safe and well but with each day that passes, our concerns that he may have come to harm increase.”
DS Morrow said Mr Cole, who according to reports had recently started a new job, had been described as “outgoing and gregarious” and a “very sociable” person, who would “engage in conversations with anyone”.
Police say Mr Cole was seen buying the cans of beer at a shop in Blackhorse Lane at 10.05pm on 21 January before boarding a 158 bus in the direction of Chingford.
He was seen getting off the bus outside Walthamstow Academy, close to the junction of Academy Way and Billet Road, at 10.55pm, before being picked up on residential CCTV walking along Billet Road around 10 minutes later.
At 11.17pm, he was seen on CCTV walking west along nearby Banbury Road in the direction of the River Lea.
While the footage from Banbury Road is the last confirmed sighting of Mr Cole, officers believe his phone was active in the vicinity of the former Ikea store in Glover Drive, Edmonton, at 0.41am on the Sunday morning.
So far there has been no confirmation that Nathan was in possession of his phone at that time.
DS Morrow said: “We urgently want to hear from anyone who saw Nathan late on the night of Saturday, 21 January, early the following morning or at any time since.
“We would ask anyone who lives in the area he was last seen to check any CCTV or doorbell cameras.
“We would also like to hear from anyone who spoke to Nathan on the night, who knew of his plans or who knows where he might have gone or who he might have been meeting.
“No piece of information is too small.”
