THE daughter of a man missing for more than two years has made an emotional plea for information as she faces another Christmas without her dad.
Richard Dyson, 58, was last seen by his daughter Bethany Dainty, on November 15, 2019, and was reported missing just ten days later after he missed their next arranged meeting.
Bethany, who was just 19 when she reported her dad missing, faces her third Christmas without her father, who also celebrates his birthday today.
“This will be the third birthday without him and I still feel in shock,” said Bethany, now 21. “Every year without him that shock and disbelief just grows.
“I would always see dad on his birthday. He’d bring me my Christmas presents and my card and I would give him his birthday and Christmas presents and his card.
“He’d always pick me up at about 6pm and he’d drive me to my aunt’s house for a Christmas dinner and we’d stay there a while. It was such a happy time of the year, and now I dread it and I can’t enjoy it anymore. It breaks my heart over and over again.”
Bethany hopes that a renewed plea for information can help bring her dad home.
She added: “Every day waking up and not knowing what happened hurts, it feels like I can’t get any closure not having any answers.
“Somebody must know something, and I just don’t understand why anyone would keep anything like that to themselves and would put a family through so much pain.
“If you do know something please come to the police, even if you don’t think it is significant it could be.
“If you are reading this, dad, and if there is any reason you feel like you still can’t tell us where you have gone then just know that you can, I will understand.
“The relief and happiness I would feel if somebody does know something and comes forward, I couldn’t be able to describe.”
South Yorkshire Police released a renewed appeal after new CCTV footage - which was taken the day before Richard’s disappearance - has come to light. In the footage, Richard is shown pulling up the the petrol station on Sheffield Road, Birdwell, at around 10.30pm on November 16, 2019.
He exits his vehicle with the registration T321 POW before entering the petrol station shop.
He then returns to his car, opens the bonnet and checks something before driving away.
Detectives are hoping the footage can trigger a memory from anyone who was there, which could help the police to discover which direction Richard travelled in once he left the forecourt.
DCI Mark Oughton, leading the investigation, said: “We know Bethany and her family are still being tormented by Richard’s disappearance and are hoping this footage might be a trigger for a memory someone has locked away that might be released upon seeing the footage.”
Investigations remain ongoing into Richard’s disappearance.
In March of this year, three men aged 43, 51 and 68, from Barnsley, and a 67-year-old man from Rotherham, were all arrested on suspicion of murder.
They all remain released under investigation as further enquiries continue.
Last Friday, two more men from Barnsley aged 46 and 48 were arrested on suspicion of murder and have since been released under investigation.
If you have information which could assist the investigation, please call 101 quoting incident number 459 of November, 25 2019.
