
Body of missing Scot Greg Monks found at bottom of ravine a week after he vanished on stag do in Portugal
The plant mechanic, 38, was discovered by police today at the bottom of a ravine
Advertisement
5
Missing mechanic Greg Monks has been found dead in Portugal
5
The Scot vanished while on a stag do in the party hotspot of Albufeira
Credit: Alamy
5
The tragic last known picture of Greg was revealed
Greg, from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, disappeared in the early hours after travelling to Albufeira for a stag do with friends.
The Policia Judiciaria police force said in a statement: 'The PJ has located the body of the missing Scottish tourist in Albufeira.
'PJ police, through the Southern Directorate and with the collaboration of the Albufeira GNR police force, today located the body of a man who had been missing since May 28 in the Cerro de Aguia area of Albufeira.
'The disappearance of the 38-year-old UK citizen was reported to the Albufeira GNR at 8pm on the 28th by another man who was accompanying him on holiday in the area.
Advertisement
'After carrying out various enquiries and establishing the presumed route taken in the early hours of that day since the last sighting, the body was located on steep wasteland.
'After the appropriate judicial inspection, the body will be removed and taken to the nearest Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.'
It comes after Greg's sisters revealed the "alarm bells" moment after he vanished from the
party
hotspot.
Just hours after arriving in Portugal for the five-day stag do, he told pals that he was heading back to his holiday apartment on his own after several hours of partying and drinking.
Advertisement
Most read in The Scottish Sun
Exclusive
The last official sighting of Greg was at around 3.27am on Wednesday, May 28, near the Cerro de Aguia area as Greg's last known picture was revealed.
This is more than an hour's walk west of the popular
party
resort where Greg is thought to have left his friends, while the Novochoro Apartments, which he had checked into on Tuesday night, are a 30-minute walk north.
Police put me through horrific treatment after Portugal rape ordeal, I deserve answers & apology, says Hazel Behan
His worried
parents
and girlfriend Nicole Ashleigh Kelso flew out to the Algarve in a bid to trace him.
Hours before his
death
, Greg's sisters Jillian and Carlyn told
Advertisement
Jillian said: "We were contacted on Wednesday afternoon asking if there was any way we could track his phone because he hadn't come home from the night before.
"This immediately raised alarm bells. It's just not like him. He wouldn't normally do something like this.
5
The 38-year-old vanished while on a stag do in the Algarve
5
The tragic plant mechanic's sisters Jillian and Carlin
Advertisement
"It had only been twelve hours since he was seen, but we were just so worried."
She and Greg's mates then tried to report him
missing
to the police but "it wasn't really taken as seriously at first because it hadn't been that long", Jillian said.
But as time went on and fears for Greg's safety grew,
cops
have been "working day and night", "putting every resource they can" into the search for Greg.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
My gangster gran Big Mags went from paedo-hunter hero to public enemy after secret £1K-a-day heroin empire exposed
Her granddaughter speaks for the first time in a new podcast and offers surprising new insight on the mum-of-eight GRAN PLAN My gangster gran Big Mags went from paedo-hunter hero to public enemy after secret £1K-a-day heroin empire exposed SHE was the Scottish grandmother dubbed a local hero after galvanising a group of locals into protesting about re-homing a convicted child sex offender on their housing estate in Stirling. Straight-talking Margaret Haney, seen by many as a campaigning voice for the common person, shot to fame after appearing on the popular BBC daytime chat show Kilroy in the late 90s. Advertisement 13 Scottish grandmother Margaret Haney, aka Big Mags, was dubbed a local hero after galvanising a group of locals into protesting about re-homing a convicted child sex offender on their housing estate in Stirling Credit: Newsflash 13 Big Mags appeared on popular BBC daytime chat show Kilroy in the late 90s Credit: BBC 13 The extraordinary story of this larger-than-life woman is told in a new podcast Credit: BBC In her early 50s and known as 'Big Mags', she cut an unlikely heroic figure with her short blonde hair, chunky earrings and plain T-shirt and leggings. But behind her 'anti-paedophile campaigner' image was a very different woman. For Big Mags was also the matriarch of a criminal family, who made hundreds of thousands of pounds from drug dealing. Dubbed the 'Family from Hell', they terrorised the neighbourhood with a string of thefts and violence across Stirling before fed up locals turned on her - ironically driving her out using the mob protest tactics she'd become famous for. Advertisement The extraordinary story of this larger-than-life woman is told in a new BBC Sounds podcast Crime Next Door: The Ballad of Big Mags, in which her granddaughter Cassie Donald speaks for the first time. Cassie - whose mum Diane was described as a 'lynch-pin' of the drug dealing operation - believes Mags's legacy is more complex than was portrayed in the media. "Two things can be true at one time," she says. "You can be a drug dealer who has sold drugs that have potentially killed people, but you can also still be a loving grandmother and a good person.' Advertisement During the 1980s Mags had eight children - seven of whom have been in jail or in custody. Mags too had her own convictions – assault, breach of the peace, contempt of court and fraud. Man, 29, arrested after woman, 21, 'stabbed' outside Scots pub 13 Parents conducting a peaceful vigil outside the hostel for the homeless in Stirling where convicted paedophile Alan Christie was staying Credit: Alamy 13 Mags was instrumental in getting Christie forced out of the area Credit: Jim Stewart Advertisement She and her kids lived on the Raploch housing estate, with various grandchildren, nephews and nieces scattered across the complex. In late 1996, 12 schools close to the Raploch received a leaked confidential note that a paedophile was living in the area, in accommodation provided by the council. Furious Mags led a protest, mainly of women, outside the accommodation, demanding he be removed. When the man, Alan Christie, was taken away for his own safety, the people of Raploch celebrated their victory. Advertisement TV news and newspapers were hooked on this down-to-earth grandmother and she revelled in it Myles Bonnar 'As for Big Mags, this was only the beginning,' says presenter Myles Bonnar. 'The vigilante mob leader was now a woman on a mission. 'TV news and newspapers were hooked on this down-to-earth grandmother and she revelled in it.' Cassie recalls: 'I'm not going to say she didn't love the attention, because she did. Advertisement 'They all tell funny stories about that time. If I remember correctly, one of them said she had a child's karaoke machine with a mic and would use it to rally the local community to get involved in the protest.' 'Keeping courts in business' 13 Mags led a protest, mainly of women, demanding the child sex offender be removed from their estate Credit: Newsflash 13 On August 25, 1997, a crowd started to gather outside Mags' flat, which grew 400-strong Credit: James Stewart But Mags would soon regret stepping into the limelight. Advertisement Many on the estate knew the other side to Big Mags, and were appalled that she was being feted as a campaigning hero. Angry letters started being sent to newspapers, with one stating: 'Only a few months ago I was reading about her criminal family keeping the courts in business. 'Now she's appearing as a community spokesperson on a chat show.' Another raged: 'The majority of people living in Raploch are disgusted by the publicity given to Big Mags Haney. Advertisement 'She and her followers are just the minority in our community. Please don't give her any more publicity.' Mark McGivern, chief reporter at the Daily Record, recalls: 'The amount of crimes committed in Stirling by that family was legion.' In the podcast Caroline Dunbar tells of her family's nightmare while living in a flat below Mags. They came in through the window and stole the television that my dad got me four months before, for my birthday Caroline Dunbar 'It was just unreal. My mum couldn't sleep at night with them banging doors and windows and walking up and down the stairs every night,' she says. Advertisement 'They actually went into my room and stole my television. My window was open a bit and I was in the living room with my mum, my dad and my brother and a couple of my pals. 'They came in through the window and stole the television that my dad got me four months before, for my birthday.' She also claims she was on the receiving end of threats - including that they would throw eggs at her wedding car. Things turned even scarier when, in 1994, Mags' 16-year-old granddaughter Kim stood on a wheelie bin and set light to Caroline's curtains through an open window. Advertisement The fire destroyed one room and covered the rest of the flat in soot. The council put Caroline and her family into bed and breakfast accommodation and they never returned. 'We were too scared to go back,' she says. Oddly, Mags turned her own granddaughter in over this incident, taking her to the police station. Advertisement 'Family from Hell' 13 Mags was forced to move to temporary accommodation on Upper Bridge Street in Stirling after being hounded out of her home Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing - The Sun Glasgow 13 The crowd chanted for the Haneys to get out, singing, 'Build a bonfire and put the Haneys on the top' (pictured: Mags responds to the protest) Credit: James Stewart One case in May 1995, on the face of it quite minor, would launch the Haneys from local court reporting to national notoriety. Mags's 20-year-old son, Jo Jo Haney, was in court where he received a 60-day prison sentence for planning a theft at a hotel. Advertisement The Sherriff that day remarked during the sentencing: 'What troubles me is the misery that this particular family has inflicted on the Raploch community over many, many years. 'If I were the presiding Sherriff here, I'd be taking very severe steps to make sure that this particular family are deterred from any further offending.' To his astonishment, Mags told Mr McGivern outside the court: 'I don't know what he's complaining about. It's my family that keeps him in a job.' The story was widely reported the following day, and the clan was now on the newspapers' radar as 'The Family from Hell'. Advertisement A petition sprung up demanding that the council remove the Haney family from the estate, attracting hundreds of signatures. On August 25, 1997, a crowd started to gather outside Mags' flat, which grew 400-strong. They began chanting for the Haneys to get out, singing: 'Build a bonfire and put the Haneys on the top.' I don't know what he's complaining about. It's my family that keeps him in a job Big Mags Mags was taken away under police escort, giving everyone the finger as she left. Advertisement She would never return to the estate. Her reign within the Raploch was over. But she was far from finished. Settling nearby in Lower Bridge Street, Stirling, Mags' drug dealing became very lucrative as she moved on to heroin. Mr McGivern began quietly investigating, posing as a dealer to buy drugs from her family of distributors, and eventually ran a story on his newspaper's front page with a picture of Big Mags, headlined: 'Dealer Number One.' Sgt Simon McLean of the Serious Crime Squad worked undercover as a local in the community for three weeks, building a case against her. Advertisement 'We got the lowdown on what was happening from pubs and clubs and all the rest of it,' he says. £1,000-a-day heroin empire 13 Mags was arrested in 2001 after police raided her home in Stirling Credit: Newsflash Bit by bit, people began to open up, and Mags was arrested in 2001. At her trial the court was told she would often earn up to a thousand pounds a day from her drugs operation - while claiming £1,200 a month in state benefits. Advertisement With a week of the trial still to go, the four main family players pleaded guilty to supplying heroin on a large scale over a number of years. Mags got 12 years, daughter Diane - Cassie's mother - got nine, cousin Roseanne seven and Mags' son Hugh five years. Despite these convictions, local residents and journalists remained puzzled as to why it took so long to dismantle the Haney drug operation, allegedly rampant throughout the 1990s. Asked why their drug operation wasn't shut down sooner, Sgt McLean is in no doubt. Advertisement There is no doubt that Mags Haney was a criminal informer Sgt Simon McLean 'It was because of her relationship with the police,' he says. 'I've dealt with many very serious criminals and I've never known a successful one, who has made a life of it, that hasn't been talking to and informing the police, at some level. 'There is no doubt that Mags Haney was a criminal informer.' After a few months in prison Mags was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and later developed lung cancer. Advertisement She served six years before being released in 2009. She died in August 2013 aged 70. The full series of the Crime Next Door: The Ballad of Big Mags podcast is available on BBC Sounds now. 13 Mags served six years before being released in 2009 (pictured in 2012) Credit: Daily Record/Media Scotland 13 Big Mags died in August 2013, aged 70 Credit: James Stewart Advertisement


The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Scots biker gang funeral erupts into bloody bust-up leaving three in hospital
Cops were called when violence erupted at a send-off for Gordon Luke at The Hurlet Crematorium, near Paisley ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE Scots biker gang funeral erupts into bloody bust-up leaving three in hospital THREE biker gang members were hospitalised in a bloody bust-up after the funeral of a 'legend of the Scottish bike scene', we can reveal. Cops were called when violence erupted at a send-off for Gordon Luke when a huge convoy of motorbikes roared up to The Hurlet Crematorium, near Paisley. Advertisement 7 Hundreds of bikes escort the funeral cortege of biker 'legend' Gordon Luke. Credit: © Jamie Williamson, All rights reserved 7 Cops were called to The Hurlet after three bikers suffered 'serious injuries'. Credit: © Jamie Williamson, All rights reserved 7 Talented musician Gordon Luke passed away after a tragic bike accident last month. 7 Gordon spoke to the Scottish Sun after he lost a leg in a 2018 bike accident. Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow Sources say thugs from the notorious Blue Angels clashed with rival bikers from the Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club and left three men with horror wounds. Cops and ambulance crews were summoned to the scene on Friday after hundreds of mourners had paid their respects to Gordon who died in a fatal bike crash. The violence exploded amid an ongoing feud between the two mobs after a former BA boss Dan Laponder, 44, jumped ship to the new Mad Dog crew. A source said: 'A load of Blue Angels showed up at the funeral to attack Mad Dogs members. Advertisement 'They obviously knew they were going to be there but to do something like this at a man's funeral is as low as it gets.' Three men aged 30, 44 and 65 were rushed to hospital with 'serious injuries' as cops launched a probe into the sickening attacks. Earlier hundreds of bikers were pictured escorting Gordon's funeral cortege as they paid their respects following his death in a motorcycle accident near Loch Lomond on Saturday, July 12. After the heartbreaking news of his death, a loved-one wrote: 'He was, without doubt, my absolute hero growing up. Big, strong, fearless, took no prisoners. And a damn fine musician. I loved him so much.' Advertisement A funeral notice reveals talented musician and passionate biker Gordon had asked mourners not to wear formal funeral attire but casual colourful clothes or bike gear. Video shared on social media by Motorcycle Law Scotland shows more than 500 bikers slowly making their way to the crematorium. Biker gang boss blames Blue Angels 'snitch' for jail stretch as video lifts lid on feud They later attended the Clippens Inn, Linwood, where band Thunder Road played a gig to celebrate Gordon's life as many posted tributes online. One pal said: 'The most amazing and crazy man that was and always will be the one and only 'Gordon Luke'. Unique, mad, kind, caring, loved and hugely respected by the community of Linwood, and the biker world alike.' Advertisement Another added: 'Brilliant send off for a brilliant guy.' Another biker pal wrote: 'Great send off for big Gordon Luke. Was an honour to be part of it. A true legend.' We told of an ongoing feud between rival biker gangs has been raging for months in the wake of high-ranking BA member Laponder leaving the mob and setting Mad Dogs. We told how heavily-tattooed Laponder blamed a 'snitch' in his old crew after being caged for bombing a rival's dad's works van in Lennoxtown, Dunbartonshire, in June last year. Advertisement ATTACK AFTER CRASH ORDEAL By Graham Mann GORDON Luke previously told of being attacked by a mob who burst into his home. The then 64-year-old told The Scottish Sun how he feared for his life when three blade thugs pounced in Linwood, near Paisley. Amputee Gordon - who had lost a leg in a March 2018 bike accident - thought he was a goner when the maniacs booted in his front door. Gordon said in September that year: 'I thought I was going to die. I was terrified. 'They were trying to get to me with knives. There's not much I could do because I'm vulnerable.' The biker club founder said they showed up after he was mugged by two crooks who'd offered to help with his shopping. He added: 'I'd bumped into the people who stole the money and said I wanted it back. 'My biker friends warned them to stay away then I heard kicking at the door. 'To do that to someone in a wheelchair is repulsive.' Tensions had earlier boiled when a 20-strong mob wrecked a motorbike garage in November 2023. An insider claimed Laponder then opted to switch sides as a pal was one of two men left with horror injuries in the ambush at Totally Spanners in Glasgow's Hillington. Our source said in December: 'Dan looked at who was running about with him and decided he'd had enough.' We told how the brute went on to blow up a BT van used by Blue Angels member David Rollo's father. Advertisement 7 Dan Laponder was caged for nine years amid a feud between biker gangs. 7 Hundreds attended Gordon Luke's funeral to show their respects for a 'legend'. Credit: © Jamie Williamson, All rights reserved 7 Cops launched a probe after three men were beaten at the send-off. Credit: © Jamie Williamson, All rights reserved Weeks later a hooded thug hurled accelerant on a clubhouse in Airdrie in another attack linked to the feud. Advertisement Laponder, now holed up at Greenock's prison, previously posed with a sawn-off shotgun. He was jailed for nine years at Glasgow's High Court in November. Police Scotland said: 'Around 3pm on Friday officers were called to a report of a disturbance in the Glasgow Road area of Hurlet, Glasgow. 'Emergency services attended and a 30-year-old man was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow with serious injuries. Advertisement 'Two other men, aged 44 and 65, were taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, both with serious injuries. Enquiries are ongoing.'


The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Unexpected UK city to charge £4.90 MORE per night in ‘tourist tax' that's higher than Barcelona or Venice
They're not the first UK city to introduce the tax either TAXING TIMES Unexpected UK city to charge £4.90 MORE per night in 'tourist tax' that's higher than Barcelona or Venice VISITORS to an unexpected UK city are set to be hit with a new tourist tax that's more expensive than Barcelona or Venice. If you plan to visit the city and stay overnight, you could be charged an extra £4.90 per night under the new measures. Advertisement 2 Visitors to Aberdeen are set to be hit by a new tourist tax Credit: Getty 2 Aberdeen is set to introduce the new tax in July 2027 that will charge £4.90 per night Credit: Getty The new 7 per cent tax on overnight stays will be introduced by Aberdeen City Council in July 2027. At an average room rate of £70 per night, visitors will have to stump up an extra £4.90 per night. Any non-resident staying overnight in Aberdeen will have to pay the fee which is expected to bring an extra £6.8 million a year into the city. This money will then be reinvested in the city's tourism sector. Advertisement Stephen Gow, chair of VisitAberdeenshire, said the city received over 2.2 million overnight visitors last year which generated £500 million. He called the new measures a "well managed scheme" that will "drive continued growth of Aberdeen's visitor economy". He added: 'The headroom for growth in the leisure and conference sectors will be fulfilled through effective investment in promotion, events, and development of the tourism sector." Who will it apply to? The tax will apply to hotels, B&Bs, self-catering accommodation, campsites and caravan parks. Advertisement For specific events like arts festivals or major conferences, councils will be permitted to adjust the 7 per cent figure. But the type of accommodation subject to the tax won't be able to change. Mini tourist train crashes in Brit holiday hotspot with carriage overturned injuring 20 with four in critical condition There are exemptions, however, which include motorhomes and people receiving disability payments. Aberdeen City Council's finance and resources convener, Alex McLellan, said: "The income generated from the visitor levy, paid by those visiting the city, will provide a huge boost to our local economy and allow us to invest in bringing major events and conferences here on a more regular basis." Advertisement The tax will also support large-scale events, productions and festivals through a special fund. Other tourist taxes Aberdeen is not the first Scottish city to introduce such measures but the 7 per cent rate is the highest so far. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow introduced a 5 per cent levy earlier this year which are due to come into effect in June 2026 and January 2027 respectively. McLellan added that tourists are paying similar amounts per night across Europe. Advertisement "We should do the same to ensure we can compete in terms of attracting both business and leisure tourism to Aberdeen," he said. The new levies come after the Scottish Parliament introduced legislation to impose a levy on overnight accommodation. There isn't an equivalent law in England but Liverpool and Manchester, for example, have already found alternative ways to raise money in the same fashion. The new charges come as another popular UK destination imposed a tourist tax last month. Advertisement Holidaymakers who take a trip to Wales will be thumped with an extra £1.30 per night after proposals were given the nod.