Damien Nettles

DOB: Jun 21, 1980
Missing: Nov 2, 1996
Age Now: 28
Sex: Male
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 6'3" (191 cm)
Weight: 180 lbs (82 kg)
Missing From:
GURNARD
Hampshire
United Kingdom
Age Progressed




Damien Nettles was last seen in the Cowes area of the Isle of Wight on 2nd November 1996. On the 11th Anniversary of his disappearance police are appealing for anybody to come forward with information. Damien was 16 years old when he was last seen. He was described as 6'3 tall, slim build with brown hair shaved at the back and brown eyes. He was wearing dark fleece jacket and dark blue jeans and black boots. The above photographs show him aged 16 years old and also age progressed to how he may look in his 20's. Police are particularly keen to identify people that were in Yorkies chip shop on the night of Damien's disappearance as per link below: http://www.hampshire.police.uk/Internet/news/casebook/Casebook+-+Damien+Nettles.htm If you have any information call Hampshire Constabulary asking for Operation Ridgewood on 0845 045 45 45 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Posted and Supported by
NPIA Missing Persons Bureau
on 0808-100 8777

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hampshire Constabulary (ask for Operation Ridgewood) on 0845 045 45 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Is Damien alive? By Peter Law
10:56am Thursday 28th February 2008



THE family of a teenager who has been missing for more than 11 years are in shock today after astonishing claims that their son could still be alive.

Damien Nettles - who would now 27 - disappeared from Cowes on the Isle of Wight on November 2, 1996, when he was 16.

Now a private investigator has uncovered evidence that a Damien Nettles could have surfaced in Torquay, Devon.

Hampshire detectives are investigating the sensational claims and would not rule out the possibility that Damien may still be alive.

It was also revealed the Major Crime Department was investigating "persons" using the name Damien Nettles in Britain.

Last night, Damien's mother Valerie told the Daily Echo she remained hopeful her son was alive.

Fears However, she feared the Damien Nettles in Torquay may simply share her son's name - or that someone may have stolen his identity.

"We always try to keep an open mind," she said. "Anyone could have used his name or maybe someone else has that name.

"I always do hope he is alive, but anyone who knows Damien finds it hard to imagine that he has never contacted anyone."

Isle of Wight-based private investigator Alan Rossati claims he has unearthed new evidence showing Damien could be alive, but does not want to be found.

Mr Rossati said there had been a number of sightings across southern England.

Crucially, he also found documents linking a person named Damien Nettles to two businesses at a warehouse in Torquay.

Mr Rossati, who worked free of charge for the Nettles family, said he had not found Damien, but the information indicated he was alive.

"There is quite a trail and the information I have is that Damien is still alive and that he doesn't want to be found," he said.

"I apologise if I have upset the family, but my job is only to locate missing persons, not interfere in their lives."

When the Daily Echo visited the Torquay warehouse last night there was a stack of unopened mail addressed to the mysterious businesses.

Det Insp Darren O'Callaghan, who is investigating the disappearance, said enquiries had been made to trace whether there was any sign of Damien using financial facilities.

He added: "This is based on one of the investigative hypothesese, ie that Damien may be alive and well.

"This is a normal line of enquiry and one that has been repeated at various stages."

"The Major Crime Department is conducting enquiries into persons using the name Damien Nettles, these enquiries have yet to identify any confirmed sighting.

"We have however not ruled out the possibility that Damien may be alive."

Damien vanished just before midnight on a stormy winter night after going to a party with friends in East Cowes.

After separating from friends he was seen on a security camera inside Yorkie's Chip Shop at 11.36pm.

Mrs Nettles plans to return to Britain from her home in Texas, America, for a short visit next month.

She intends to lobby the government to help establish a support group for families of missing people.




http://www.damiennettles.com/

October 2009
Damien will have been missing 13 years on November 2,
2009. ForeverSearching will be profiling Damien for
publicity. Also on November 1st, Damien will be featured in
the live webcast from LA by band, Clemstreet as part of the
Squeaky Wheel Tour. Please see links www.411gina.org
Still looking for our beautiful boy and wondering what happened.

May 2009
Damien to be featured in International Missing Children's Day
Where? South Bank, London - The event will be held on Monday 18th May 2009, at The
National Theatre, South Bank, London in their new venue 'The Deck'.with some key
players from the charitable sector. A balloon arch is planned with the balloons
showing 5 missing children from each of the 17 Global Missing Children Network
(GMCN) members countries, approximately 85 children will be shown.
> Due to International Children's day occurring on a Bank Holiday, the event will take
place on Monday 18th May at 2.30pm.
NPIA and MIssing People are participating in the International Missing Children's Day
(Bank Holiday Monday - 25th May) in co-ordination with the Australian Federal Police,
the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC Washington - USA)
and other partners of the Global Missing Children's Network. Missing Children Europe
and its associated NGOs are also involved.

Forever Searching are organising a March for the Missing in
Leicester on Sunday 24th May, all are welcome to attend please
go to their website www.foreversearching.com for further
details.

Missing People and AdMedia team up to help Keep the Search
Alive for the missing....
www.missingpeople.org.uk/keepthesearchalive/


JANUARY 14, 2009
ANOTHER YEAR BEGINS, AND WE ARE NOT GIVING UP EVEN
IF THE POLICE APPEAR TO BE!

WE ARE APPEALING FOR ANYONE TO CONTACT US WITH
WHAT THEY MAY KNOW OR HAVE HEARD ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED TO DAMIEN. AT THIS POINT THE POLICE JUST
ABOUT WASHED THEIR HANDS OF DAMIEN...THEY DON'T
WANT TO KEEP FOLLOWING LEADS AND WE SUSPECT THAT
THERE MAY BE LEADS THEY WERE GIVEN IN THE EARLY
DAYS THAT THEY HAVE NOT FOLLOWED UP ON, SO WE
NEED TO FIND OUR OWN. WE ARE ON OUR OWN AND WE
NEED YOUR HELP TO BRING SOME CLOSURE.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DAMIEN NETTLES

Damien Nettles disappearance: five men arrested on suspicion of murder
Five men have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Damien Nettles, a teenager who went missing nearly 15 years ago.

9:22AM BST 11 May 2011

Police investigating the disappearance of the 16-year-old on the Isle of Wight in 1996 detained the men ''in response to information about the case''.

Damien, of Woodvale Road, Gurnard, Isle of Wight, went missing on Saturday November 2 1996 after a night out with friends.

He has never been seen since, despite his family keeping the disappearance in the spotlight over the years.

A police spokesman said Hampshire Constabulary's major crime department is following leads established over the past year.

The five were arrested yesterday and are being questioned by detectives at a number of different police stations across the island and Hampshire.
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They are a 44-year-old man from Cowes, Isle of Wight; a 48-year-old man from Sandown, Isle of Wight; a 37-year-old man from Ryde, Isle of Wight; a 50-year-old man from Newport, Isle of Wight; and a 39-year-old man from Gravesend, Kent.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Dave Powell said: ''Police remain determined to find and pursue leads in this unsolved missing person case.

''A dedicated team of officers from Hampshire Constabulary's major crime department have been working on information secured during inquiries over the past year.

''The Nettles family has displayed tremendous tenacity and courage in campaigning consistently to encourage witnesses and assistance from the community.

''There has been an intermittent flow of information since 1996, with people coming forward years after Damien's disappearance.

''This suggested there was always the possibility that members of the public had extra knowledge which could take the investigation forward.

''We also welcome the ongoing support of charities, professional partner agencies, local businesses, media organisations and the community in reinforcing awareness of the family's billboard campaign across the island over the past year.

''Although we have sufficient information to make arrests over an allegation of murder in 1996, detectives will keep an open mind about exactly what happened to Damien because a wide range of information has been received over the past 14 years.

''The body of Damien Nettles has not been located or identified at this time.''

Damien, a talented guitar player, was last seen on CCTV footage caught on a security camera at Yorkie's Chip Shop on Cowes High Street on the island at about 11.45pm.

In the footage he is seen buying chips while five men are also in the shop.

Damien's mother, Valerie, 58, who now lives near Dallas in Texas, and his brother and two sisters have ceaselessly campaigned to find out what happened to their loved one.

Speaking from the United States, secretary Mrs Nettles said she was "cautiously optimistic" about the arrests but she was prepared for the development to come to nothing.

She said she had been angry about the police investigation into her son's disappearance over the years.

"I'm pleased that finally I feel this is an opportunity to look at the case in the light it should have been looked at - in a more serious manner than Damien had just walked out the door and never come back," she said.

"I have always felt that something bad happened to Damien that night. It's just a shock we are here and now and this is being looked at. I'm hoping that we will get a result.

"I have been trying to work with the police, which has been difficult after all these years of being angry with them.

"I'm cautiously optimistic but prepared for a big letdown as my hopes have been hurt too many times before."

Mrs Nettles said the disappearance of her son "feels like yesterday".

"It never goes away. Not a single day goes by without something cropping up that reminds me of Damien, like some music I think he would have liked or a family gathering."

Five men arrested on suspicion of the murder of a teenager on the Isle of Wight 15 years ago have been re-bailed.

Damien Nettles was last seen after a night out in West Cowes on 2 November 1996, when he was aged 16. His body has never been found.

In May, police arrested and bailed five men on suspicion of murder following new information and then began searching marsh land near Newport.

On Wednesday they were re-bailed until 1 February, pending further inquiries.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: "Detectives continue to follow leads established over the past 18 months about what happened to Damien Nettles in 1996.

"Damien's body has not been located or identified at this time."

Four of the men re-bailed are are from the Isle of Wight and include a 48-year-old man from Sandown; a 45-year-old man from Cowes; a 50-year-old man from Newport and a 37-year-old man from Ryde.

A 40-year-old man from Gravesend, Kent, has also been re-bailed.
Last sighting

Damien had lived with his family in Woodvale Road, Gurnard, but they have since moved to Texas in the US.

Specialist teams searching for his body used rafts to comb marsh land and water at Dodnor Nature Reserve, near Newport, in May after police received new information.

The searches were unsuccessful but officers said "the search for Damien goes on".

The last confirmed sighting of Damien was on CCTV at Yorkie's fish and chip shop in Cowes High Street at about 23:45 GMT.

He has not been seen since despite his family keeping the disappearance in the spotlight over the years.

His mother Valerie, 58, and his brother and two sisters have campaigned to find out what happened to him.

Officers urged anyone with information to contact them.