This post is copied from Claret & Hugh
Officers looking for a missing man in #Basildon are planning to drain a lake in Gloucester Park as the search continues.
We are releasing new CCTV footage of Jack Morrad, 28, who was last seen at around 2.30am on Dec 23.
Read more: https://t.co/wBFXEyzWCn pic.twitter.com/ZTfmwGc4eY— Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) December 31, 2018
Essex Police have released CCTV footage of missing West Ham season ticket holder Jack Morrad this evening.
A statement on Facebook by Essex Police reads:
Officers looking for a missing man in Basildon are planning to drain a lake in Gloucester Park as the search continues. Jack Morrad, 28, was last seen in Broadhurst Place at around 2.30am on Sunday, December 23. We are releasing new CCTV footage of Jack, taken at a similar time on Blake Avenue, in an appeal for further information about his movements that morning. Throughout the festive period, our officers and Jack’s family and friends have been carried out an extensive search, including of Gloucester Park and other waterways in the town. Specialist search teams have carried out an extensive search of the park and all bodies of water within it at the weekend. Following the conclusion of those searches the main fishing lake will now be drained, which will begin on January 2, ready to be searched on January 4, 2019.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Pitcher, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said:
After prolonged investigations over the past nine days, one of our main lines of enquiry remains that Jack’s movements led him to Gloucester Park. Officers from across the county, volunteers from Essex Search and Rescue, and specialist teams, have worked over Christmas and New Year to try and piece together what we believe are Jack’s last known movements. We will continue our search for Jack by draining the fishing lake. Night fisherman have stated they heard a man in the area of the lake at around 2am and, to further our enquiries, we need to do a thorough examination of the fishing lake. The draining will be led by the Environmental Agency, who will ensure that minimum disruption is caused to the nature in the lake and its surroundings. This is not a decision we have taken lightly and I cannot imagine the pain Jack’s family are feeling today. Their bravery and determination throughout this search has been commendable, and I hope that our ongoing enquiries will give them the answers they need. I would like to thank everyone in the local community for coming together to support our efforts during this difficult time. The public support in this case has been overwhelming. To everyone who has supported Jack’s family, made fliers, or taken part in searches around the town – thank you for your hard work, your hope and your dedication. Our investigation has identified a sighting of Jack in Blake Avenue around 2.30am. We are still keen to hear from anyone who lives or was driving in that area and has available CCTV or dashcam footage, which shows from 1am to 6am on December 23. Please also check your gardens and sheds for any signs that someone may have taken shelter there. I am also keen to hear from anyone who may have seen Jack in the town centre and may have information as to which direction he went. We would ask drivers in the town with dashcam to check your footage and get in touch with any believed sightings. Anyone with information or footage can send it into us via a portal HERE. I hope the ongoing search can provide us all with much-needed answers over the coming week.