'Alarm bells' moment for family of missing Greg Monks
The 38-year-old plant mechanic from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, disappeared in the early hours of Wednesday morning, May 28, while out with mates on the Albufeira Strip.
However, he never returned. The last confirmed sighting of him was around 3:27am in the Cerro de Aguia area.
According to Google Maps, this area is around an hour and 20 minute walk from the main strip in Albufeira.
Greg's cousin Alison Fraser posted a statement on Facebook.
It reads: 'I'm Greg's cousin and I'm here in Albufeira, this is the last official sighting of Greg at around 3.27am on Wednesday, May 28.
'He was walking by the villa, circling and in the direction of the arrow. Please share, particularly with any local residents' groups.'
(Image: Alison Fraser/Facebook)
READ MORE: New image emerges of Glasgow man missing in Portugal
His parents and girlfriend, Nicole Ashleigh Kelso, have flown to the Algarve to assist in the search.
In an interview with Sky News, Greg's sisters, Jillian and Carlyn, described the family's anguish.
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.
"It had only been twelve hours since he was seen, but we were just so worried."
Initially, police didn't take the missing person report seriously due to the short time since his disappearance, but as concern mounted, Portuguese authorities escalated the search.
Jillian said police have since been 'working day and night' and 'using every resource they can' to find him.
CCTV footage has shown Greg walking alone in the Cerro de Aguia area, a quiet, rural part of Albufeira filled with trees, rocks, and cliffs.
(Image: Alison Fraser/Facebook) Jillian added: "The family flew out on Thursday evening just to try and get some answers.
"The police had said he was seen on CCTV in a residential area, Cerro de Aguia.
"He's been spotted twice walking alone on CCTV around there. It's residential and quite rural with a lot of trees and rocks and cliffs."
Describing Greg as 'quiet, hardworking, and a great godfather and uncle,' Jillian said his girlfriend Nicole is 'heartbroken and trying to keep it together.'
Carlyn added: 'He's a real family man. This just isn't like him. We're trying to hold each other up and keep fighting to find him.'
The Glasgow Times reported last week that the family has made a public appeal for anyone in the Cerro de Aguia area with doorbell or home security footage between 2am and 5am on May 28 to come forward.
READ MORE: Family of Glasgow man missing in Portugal in CCTV plea
Jillian pleaded: "If you see his picture and know anything, any tiny little bit of information, just get in touch, let us know where he last was.
Carlyn added: "If you live in the area or any of the surrounding areas and have any home security cameras or anything that could capture him travelling around, please check it."
Greg was due to fly back to Scotland on May 30, but he never made the flight.
We previously reported that a fundraiser was set up to support the family's search efforts.
The GoFundMe has already raised over £21,000.
READ MORE: Fundraiser launched for family of missing Glasgow man
A statement published on the page reads: 'I have been asked by the family to set this up. Our son Greg Monks, 38, went to Portugal for a stag do on Tuesday, May 27.
'On their first night out, our son Greg never returned to his hotel and has now been reported missing for three days.
'We are desperately seeking Greg's safe return and need your help. There are professional search teams out looking for Greg, and the family have all flown out to try and help find him, but they don't know how long their stay will be.
'They are doing everything they can. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in our efforts to bring Greg home.
'Thank you for your support and prayers.'
The Glasgow Times reported that Greg's disappearance had been reported to police, the hotel where he was staying, and the British Embassy in Portugal by his family.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities'.
The GoFundMe page can be viewed HERE.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I went inside the new Madeleine McCann search area - and here's what I found'
Investigators hunting for missing Madeleine McCann spent three days scouring through scrubland and derelict buildings this week - I visited Praia da Luz to see how the search went The crumbling farm buildings searched by Maddie cops this week have clearly had regular visitors over the years. The four isolated plots, spread across a large area of overgrown clifftop coastline in Portugal, are covered from floor to ceiling with graffiti. Empty beer bottles and cans are scattered across the ground outside, showing they may have been popular meeting spots for the local youths. By the entrance of one of the buildings there were even four pairs of discarded women's knickers. Approaching the derelict buildings, the day after the police ended their search, a few signs remain to show officers were there. A couple of strips of police tape are trailed between bushes, while a number of trees around the buildings have been chopped back. Piles of rubbles and brambles can be seen outside each building where police have cleared a path for their forensic teams to enter. They also cleared the area around an old drainage well, which holds a pool of stagnant water at the bottom, which clearly became part of their investigation. Walking into the shells of the building - with their collapsed roofs and flaking walls - shows the police have cleaned them out. There are no brambles or bottles inside. The floors inside were swept tidy, with the original blue and white tiles visible in one of the outbuildings. But it is obvious the vandals and graffiti artists have also seen them as easy pickings over the years. The huge amount of graffiti - including artwork of sinister faces, cartoon characters, swear words and random spray paint scribbles - shows that there have been many people paying a visit. It is unclear when the buildings were abandoned, but those who headed into the scrublands over the years would have had no idea that, one day, it would become the scene of a major police investigation. German police, aided by their Portuguese colleague, spent three days scoring the buildings this week, using JCB diggers and a ground penetrating radar. They were hoping to find clues in the 18 year investigation into the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann. Little Maddie went missing from her holiday apartment on the evening of May 3, 2007. Her whereabouts remain unknown, although German prosecutors believe she is dead. Maddie had been on holiday with mum and dad, Kate and Gerry, along with her twin siblings and a group of family friends when she vanished. This week German and Portuguese officers covered a huge swathe of coastal scrubland between Praia da Luz - where Maddie and her family were staying - and the town of Lagos. The site is close to where German investigators prime suspect Christian Bruckner had been living at the time. He denies any involvement in Maddie's case.
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
What police found during Madeleine McCann search and what happens next in race against time
What police found during Madeleine McCann search and what happens next in race against time A team of German and Portuguese investigators have finished an extensive search Investigators wrapped up their search on Thursday (Image: Andy Commins / Daily Mirror ) A huge search operation for Madeleine McCann in the Algarve region of Portugal has come to an end after three days of searching scrubland and abandoned buildings. The search, by investigators from Germany and Portugal, concentrated on a 120-acre area of land which search teams examined with chainsaws, diggers and a ground-penetrating radar. The latest search was the first in two years and is thought to have been prompted by the looming jail release of prime suspect Christian Brueckner, 48, currently serving a prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. It focused on the area around Brueckner's former address, in Atalaia, near Lagos. Investigators spent two days focusing on one particular derelict building, clearing debris, vegetation and using ground-penetrating radar devices. As the three-day search came to an end yesterday evening, officers held a debrief and offered up a round of applause. A crate of German beer was later seen being removed from one of the tents. Investigators celebrate the end of the three-day search (Image: PA ) Article continues below Investigators could be seen shaking hands and hugging as their efforts came to a close. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here . German investigators left at around 5.15pm local time, whilst Portuguese police officers removed the final cordons. Yesterday, tents used by the investigators began to be taken down. However, despite Madeleine's disappearance being one of the most high-profile missing persons cases in the world, it is unlikely we will find out the result of the search for several weeks. It has been reported that some material will be sent for analysis to see whether it was of any relevance but early findings like animal bones do not appear to have helped solve the mystery. Brueckner is currently due to be released from jail in September. Last year, he was cleared of unrelated sexual offences in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. This week's search has been the second major search to focus on locations linked to the German. In 2023, searches were carried out around the area of the Barragem do Arade reservoir, a remote dam 40 minutes from the Ocean Club holiday resort where the three-year-old vanished. The location became an area of interest as Brueckner reportedly called it his "little paradise". He was known to have spent lots of time there between 2000 and 2017, and had lots of photographs and videos of him near the reservoir. Article continues below
Time Out
5 hours ago
- Time Out
The unlikely trending destinations to visit this summer, according to Airbnb
After Marseille emerged as the place to be in summer 2024, we at Time Out have placed our bets on where the Euro Summer hotspot will be this year. And now, it's Airbnb 's turn to throw in its two cents. The holiday rental platform has produced a list of trending international destinations among UK travellers – and it looks like people are itching to explore some lesser-known regions this summer. There's no Barcelona, Venice or Rome in sight, but there are vibey European cities, lovely coastal spots and mountain-flanked retreats. Recommended: These are Europe's next summer hotspots, according to Time Out editors. Claiming a spot on the list is Rocca Pietore, an alpine village tucked right in the glorious heart of the Dolomites, around 160km from Venice. If mountain views, high-altitude trails and glacial hikes are your bag, this could be the one for you. Elsewhere on the list was Agadir, a brilliant coastal city in Morocco known as a laid-back, family-friendly alternative to bigger cities like Marrakech. It's also a great spot to give surfing a go. And while Porto and Lisbon typically steal the spotlight for Portuguese city breaks, this summer UK travellers are setting their sights on Almancil, an elegant Algarve town boasting more Michelin-star restaurants than anywhere else in the region. These are the unlikely trending destinations to visit this summer, according to Airbnb Rocca Pietore, Veneto, Italy Puglia, Italy Le Mans, France Bern, Switzerland Almancil, Portugal Durrës, Albania Tivat, Montenegro Agadir, Morocco Tropea, Calabria, Italy Pefkos, Rhodes, Greece To read more on the best places to head on holiday this summer, check out where Time Out editors have predicted will be the go-to spots in Europe and across the world in 2025. Plus: The language-learning app offering a $1000 prize to practice in your country of choice.
