Police divers search River Tove in Northamptonshire in search for missing man, 20, last seen 17 days ago

A search of a river in Northamptonshire will begin today (Friday April 7) as police continue to look for a missing 20-year-old.

Jayran was last seen by his family around 6pm on Tuesday March 21. Family contacted police on Sunday March 26. Officers found a jacket belonging to Jayran on a gate close to the River Tove off Northampton Road in Towcester on Saturday April 1.

Police say “extensive” inquiries have been made to establish his whereabouts but so far officers have been unable to locate him.

Neighbourhood Chief Inspector, Pete Basham, said there were a number of factors that led to the decision to carry out a search of the river.

He said: “Jayran’s family first contacted police on Sunday, March 26. Following advice to make further checks with friends, they called again the following day to report their increased concerns.

"This was considered out of character for Jayran not to be in touch with his family on a regular basis, and a missing person investigation was launched.

“On the afternoon of Saturday, April 1, a member of the public reported finding a jacket on a gate on Northampton Road, Towcester, next to the Watermeadows. From property found in the pockets, it was identified as Jayran’s.

“On Saturday evening, we began searches in the area around the Watermeadows to try to find any evidence that may help us find him.

“We have and are continuing to carry out extensive inquiries to locate Jayran, to establish if he has been in contact with anyone, carried out any financial transactions in the time since he was last seen, or if any member of the public has seen him.

“Sadly, these inquiries have not provided us with any evidence of Jayran’s whereabouts. Therefore, we now have to consider the possibility that if Jayran has been in the area around where his jacket was found, he may have gone into the river.

“As such, we will now carry out a search of the river, and will continue to support the family as the investigation continues.”

Officers continue to appeal for information or for anyone who may have seen Jayran. They also want to know if anyone found the jacket elsewhere and moved it to the gate.

Mr Basham added: “It’s vital we continue to explore all lines of inquiry, and to that end, the local community has been extremely helpful and I would like to thank them for their continued support. If anyone has information about Jayran’s whereabouts, please get in touch with police.

“Finally, we believe Jayran’s jacket was found elsewhere before it was placed on the gate by the Watermeadows. If you saw the jacket in another location or were the person who hung it on the gate, please call us.”

Neighbourhood officers will continue to patrol the area while the searches take place. Anyone with information is urged to speak to local officers or call the incident room on 101, quoting incident number 20230504/219.