Family of missing Scots toddler make fresh appeal over unsolved mystery

Daily Record

24-04-2025

The family of a missing Scots toddler have appealed for help solving the mystery almost five decades on from his disappearance. Sandy Davidson was three years old when he went missing from the garden of his grandparents' home in Irvine, Ayrshire , on April 23, 1976. He had been playing with his younger sister, Donna, who was two at the time, in the garden of their home in St Kilda Street on the Bourtreehill housing estate when he was last seen. Now, on the 49th anniversary of his disappearance, the family have made a fresh bid for information. A social media appeal from Missing Person's Support Group, on the family's behalf, said: 'Donna's recollection is that the gate swung open, the family dog ran out and Sandy ran after him. She went into the house to alert their grandparents who were babysitting for them at the time. ' The police were immediately alerted and they suspended building work on a new housing estate for extensive searches to be done. Unfortunately, despite extensive searches, Sandy was not found. 'The initial theory was that he may have followed the dog down to the river and drowned. Since then, the general consensus is that a man delivering leaflets may have opened the gate and took him. 'Sandy's mother Margaret and father Phillip believe that it was a lonely man wanting a son. Another theory is that he ran down to the river five minutes away and followed the dog in, and subsequently drowned.' A photo of Sandy as he may have looked at the age of 43 was released on the 40th anniversary of his disappearance in 2016. The family's hopes have been raised and dashed on several occasions. A man travelled from the Czech Republic to tell the family he believed he may be the toddler but a DNA test found no match. Other false leads have proved malicious and hurtful for the family. Donna has campaigned to keep Sandy's name in the spotlight over the decades and told the Record in 2023 that she was desperate for a body to be found to get 'closure' for loved ones, saying: 'I've lived my whole life with this.' Four years ago she filmed a heartbreaking video retracing the toddler's final steps as she paid tribute to the 'beautiful blue eyed boy'. Sandy's case featured on Lorraine Kelly's Missing Children series in 2009 but no fresh leads were forthcoming. The Broomlands Primary School that was being built when the toddler disappeared was demolished in 2014 but no trace of him has ever been found on the construction site. Charity Missing People also shared a reappeal for Sandy yesterday, saying: 'We send our thoughts to his loved ones today.' Detectives investigating the case have previously described Sandy as 'a distinctive-looking child with light blonde hair and blue eyes'. They say his case will always remain open. Anyone with information which could assist the investigation should contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Missing People can also be contacted on 116 000.