Jack O'Sullivan: Bid to find dog walker who could help in search for missing student
Police in Bristol have released CCTV of a dog walker who they believe could help in the search for missing student Jack O'Sullivan.
The 23-year-old was last seen in the Hotwells area of the city on 2 March while making his way home from a party.
The last confirmed sighting of him was at 3.13am that morning when he made his way onto the grass area at the junction of Brunel Lock Way and Brunel Way.
It's a spot that his brother, Ben, says he revisits every day in his search for answers.
Avon and Somerset Police have now released the footage of a dog walker who was near the Brunel Swing Bridge and Cumberland Basin at around 4.30am the night Jack disappeared.
"This person is a potential witness, so we’d like them to contact us", a spokesperson for the force said.
"They’re described as wearing a green padded jacket with a fur-lined hood, and they were walking a black dog with a red collar", they added.
Police say there are two further sightings which are 'likely to be Jack' - one on Plimsol Bridge at around 3.25am and the other on the Bennett Way slip road on the northern side of the river at around 3.38am.
Police say they have now contacted more than 1,000 taxi drivers who could have been in the area at the time of Jack's disappearance.
It's hoped they may have dashcam or eyewitness information which could help investigating officers.
His parents have told ITV News they have been in a "living hell" since his disappearance, but police say they are committed to finding answers for them.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Jason Chidgey said: “We know there were a significant number of vehicles in the area during this time and we’ve previously appealed for anyone with dashcam footage to come forward – with a particular focus on the area of Brunel Way, Brunel Lock Road, Junction Swing Bridge, Plimsol Swing Bridge or the Portway, anytime between 2.45am and 4am on Saturday 2 March.
"We’re also still appealing for any mobile phone or doorbell footage.
“Our thoughts are very much with Jack’s family who are going through an unimaginable ordeal, and we’re committed to supporting them in any way we can.
“To date, we have reviewed and re-reviewed more than 100 hours worth of CCTV footage, as well as carrying out extensive land and river searches, involving the dog and mounted section, specialist diver teams using sonar technology, the National Police Air Service (NPAS), and a specialist review team.
“We’ve sought and continue to seek independent advice from a range of experts to try and identify any lines of enquiry we still need to progress.”
Jack is white, about 5ft 10ins, of slim build, with short, brown hair. He was last seen wearing a green/brown quilted Barbour jacket, a beige woollen jumper, navy chinos, and brown shoes with a white sole.
Anyone who was in the areas mentioned above and saw anything or may have relevant footage is asked to call 101, quoting reference 5224055172 to the call handler.