We are in hell, say family of missing teenager

The mother of a teenager who has been missing for six days has described the pain of not knowing where he is as "like we're in hell".

Tom Dingle, 19, from Appley Bridge, Lancashire, was last on CCTV on Mill Lane in the village heading towards the Boathouse pub in the early hours of Saturday.

His mother Susan Dingle said the Lancaster University student "had all his future mapped out" but was "in a vulnerable state of mind" following a bereavement.

Speaking during an emotional press conference alongside police, Ms Dingle said: "We just want our baby back, that's all."

Tom is described as 5ft 10ins (1.8m) with short, black hair and an athletic build.

He was last seen wearing a black Vans hoodie, black jeans, black Doc Martin shoes and carrying a backpack.

He had been staying at the family home in Appley Bridge before his disappearance.

Ms Dingle, 56, said the family received "an innocuous message" from Tom, "but it gave us cause for concern that things weren't quite right".

They then went out looking for him but he had gone in a different direction to what he had told them and "maybe he intended to throw us off because he knew we'd come after him".

They said they had since seen footage "which we do believe is him" walking down Mill Lane.

"We're a very close family, we do everything together," she said.

"We've spoken to all his friends, we've spoken to family who don't live in the area, and people where he was studying.

"We just want our baby back, that's all."

Ms Dingle said she wanted her son to know he was not in trouble.

"We're worried that he thinks that he's going to be in some kind of trouble because of all the distress and worry of him not being home," she said.

"He needs to understand that we are not in any way angry.

"Please come home Tom. We love you so much and we miss you desperately.

"Every day it gets harder. Just please come back to us."

Police inquiries "are very much ongoing," Lancashire Police said.

They have appealed for any anyone with information to come forward, particularly anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of Stonemill Rise and Appley Lane North area from 00:30 on Saturday.

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