Brit tourist, 24, missing in Costa Brava as Spanish cops launch major search
Breaking
DESPERATE HUNT
A maritime police unit and a helicopter have been deployed to support the operation
A MAJOR search is underway 24-year-old Brit believed to have vanished on Spain's Costa Brava.
A maritime police unit and a helicopter - as well as sniffer dogs - have been deployed to support the operation.
1 Lloret de Mar beach, Costa Brava seascape Credit: Getty
The hunt is focusing on the resort of Tossa de Mar north of Barcelona , which is where the missing man's phone was last located.
A van believed to be his has been found at a scenic viewpoint close to steep cliffs near Tossa de Mar.
Regional Mossos d'Esquadra police launched their operation yesterday after the man's family reported him missing in the UK.
The force then received an alert from Interpol.
The van, thought to have been abandoned some days ago, was found a few hours into the search which.
Local media reported overnight the 24-year-old had disappeared in the UK three weeks ago on April 30.
The search is expected to resume at first daylight tomorrow.
No-one from the police force leading the search could be reached for comment late last night.
A British tourist went missing at Alicante airport at the end of March after a stag do in Benidorm before being found.
Jason Taylor, 36, vanished as he waited for a flight back to Birmingham, sparking a police manhunt which had a happy ending nearly four days later on April 1 when he was spotted walking along a nearby beach.
Police sources said after he was found that the fact he didn't have his mobile phone on him had caused him extra complications.
Tossa de Mar is about 60 miles north of Barcelona and the same distance south of the French border.
More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
It's showtime in Andalucía! How I found my voice on a musical theatre retreat
'Do you prefer alto or soprano?' asks Steve Moss, poised at his electric piano. My mind goes blank. I'm usually more of a pinot grigio girl, but that's not the answer the former musical director of Les Misérables is looking for. Although I struggle to carry a tune in a bucket, I'm an enthusiastic karaoke singer, a big musical theatre fan and a shameless show-off, so Sing the Greatest Showman, a residential singing retreat in Spain, is right up my street. Founded by Zane Rambaran, a veteran concert promoter with his roots in musical theatre, Sing Eat Retreat offers a choice of breaks here throughout the year (from Sing Les Mis to Sing Mamma Mia), with 30 hours of tuition by West End professionals. (In October, Sing The Sound of Music will be held in Salzburg too, with guests recording tracks in a studio and performing in the actual movie locations. I've already packed my dirndl.) Our base in Spain is Huerta Belinda, a gorgeous Spanish finca close to the surfing mecca of Tarifa, where we'll have five days of one-to-one and small group sessions on vocal technique, acting through song and performance preparation. The villa has eight rooms and some of the 21-strong group (mostly women in their 40s and 50s – and 60-something Ray, the only man) stays in Mesón de Sancho, a charming hotel nearby, but all of us eat together. I'm no stranger to pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone, but staring at a musical score – all impenetrable squiggles to me – under the expectant gaze of a West End director, I think I've pushed it too far this time. As Steve, who has been musical director of Mary Poppins as well as Les Mis, takes us through the song This Is Me!, breaking it down into easy chunks, I struggle to follow the music and can't decide which octave to sing in. I end up squalling up and down the bars like an angry seagull. I ask Steve if I'm a lost cause. 'I don't necessarily think that everyone can carry a tune, but I think everyone can improve,' he says, kindly. 'People always leave the retreats a better musician in some way, whether it's an improved singing voice or just learning to stand still when they're performing.' Well, I can definitely stand still. All retreats induce a naturally bonding environment, but there's something rather special about singing together. Much of our group has choir or am-dram experience, while others – like me – are complete beginners, and about half have come alone. Prior to arrival, guests fill out a questionnaire about their singing ability, what they want to achieve, and a clip of them singing Happy Birthday so tutors can assess abilities and arrange groups, but all levels are welcome. Our group includes guests from Switzerland and Spain; sisters Trish and Janet from Ireland, who sing in a choir; Emma, a teacher from Cambridge who runs musical theatre groups; and Miracle, a self-proclaimed 'nomad' who is on her fifth retreat here. One thing we all have in common is our love of musicals. Days start with breakfast in the villa, followed by a group warm up before we splinter off for workshops. The week is run along the same lines as preparation for a West End show, with vocal coaches, musical directors and choreographers. 'In the first week of a new show we do vocal calls,' says Steve. 'We start with note bashing, recording it on our phones and making notes on the music, then the cast can go off and practise. By the Friday we do a sing through of the show, have a sit through with the orchestra, then the directors and choreographers start working their magic.' Performance practice is led by Maria Graciano, who appeared in Miss Saigon and Wicked! and was the resident choreographer for Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Vocal coach Zev Chaplain teaches us about the physiology of singing and importance of warming up our vocal cords with lip trills, owl hoots, and ho, ho, ho's in the style of the Jolly Green Giant. One of the (many) highlights is a three-hour masterclass with Luke Bayer – who starred in Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Rent in the West End – giving us priceless advice and feedback on our performances. Over the week, singers are picked out for solos – not me – and all of us can have a one-to-one session with a tutor. There are plenty of breaks – it's a holiday after all – and this is where friendships blossom, with the contagious sounds of singing around the villa as people practise their scales. Any free time is spent by the pool, sunbathing in the gardens and soaking up the glorious views across the Strait of Gibraltar. There's little opportunity to venture farther afield, but most guests arrive a day or two early to explore the beaches and sand dunes of Tarifa. If you ask Zane, he may take you along when he walks Charlie, his dog. Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion Eating is a big part of the retreat too, and the food is delicious: Spanish breakfasts, fresh salads and soups for lunch, roast chicken, paellas, curries in the evening, along with plenty of wine and beer. After dinner, we congregate in the lounge and chat over more wine, before someone inevitably fires up the karaoke machine. When I arrived at Huerta Belinda, I was tempted to sit at the back and mouth the songs, such was my lack of confidence in my singing ability. But as the week progresses, I find I enjoy singing more and want to belt the tunes out with the rest of them. Thanks to Zev, I learn to breathe properly and really notice an improvement in my vocals. Part of it is because I don't want to let the rest of the group down. No one is coming into this half-heartedly; we want to put on The Greatest Show. It isn't just me who finds her voice. Elinor from Barry, a hardcore musical theatre fan (she won the quiz), loved to sing but lost all confidence after being criticised at school. 'This week has been life-changing for me. It's given me back my voice,' she says. The crescendo of the week is a concert on Friday night, with a real audience. During the day, our nerves start to show as we rehearse. But come 8pm, as we step on stage and sing the first 'whoahs' of The Greatest Show, they're quickly replaced with dopamine as the altos, sopranos, and Ray the tenor – and all the soloists – bring their A-game. It feels incredible. Waiting in the wings before our final song, I look around at my new friends, hugging, laughing, congratulating each other on their performances. It's been an incredible week both musically and emotionally. And it turns out I can hold a tune, after all. While it's far (very far) from West End-worthy, it doesn't make Charlie howl, which I'm taking as a win. The trip was provided by Sing Eat Retreat. Trips from £995, including tuition and performance practice, seven nights in a villa or hotel (five days full-board, one day half-board, including drinks)
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'Darkest days' for father of missing Katrice Lee
The father of a two-year-old girl who vanished in 1981 has revealed how his vow to solve the mystery led him away from thoughts of trace has ever been found of Katrice Lee, who went missing on her birthday near a military base in Germany where her father Richard was an episode of the new BBC podcast Katrice Lee: A Father's Story, he reveals how he contemplated taking his own life, but instead promised Katrice's sister, Natasha Walker, that he would continue his fight for Walker, who lives in Hampshire, said the podcast revealed her father's "darkest days". The first episode recounts how Katrice was with her mother Sharon and aunt Wendy at a Naafi supermarket in Paderborn on 28 November 1981, the girl's second ran off down an aisle and was never seen again. Authorities in Germany were initially suspicious of her parents and also speculated that Katrice had wandered unchallenged to the River Lippe and Mr Lee, from Hartlepool, said the case should have been treated as a possible told the programme: "It was a nightmare that I didn't think would still be a nightmare 42 years later. I've never left day one in reality."In 2012, Royal Military Police apologised for mistakes in their initial years later, the force revealed that a man had been seen putting a child into a green car in the same area on the same day of Katrice's information, which the force had received in 1981, led to a five-week excavation by soldiers of a site in Germany but no trace of the girl was found. The podcast reveals Mr Lee's emotions, in interviews recorded at different points over the last 44 said: "I went down some very dark routes and very dark avenues. And at my lowest point, I actually thought about suicide. "My choice was to continue the fight. I made a promise and that's what brought me out of the darkness."I made a promise to Natasha that I would continue the fight to get answers until I can no longer fight."Ms Walker said: "It can be at times very difficult to listen to your parents breaking their hearts on this podcast. "But then when you have an opportunity to raise awareness again that your sister is still missing, obviously you're going to do everything that you can."In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Katrice Lee's family and if anyone has any new information relating to the disappearance of Katrice they can contact us." The podcast Katrice Lee: A Father's Story is available via the BBC Sounds app. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The Tinder row that rocked missing teenager Pheobe Bishop's housemates - as bizarre video emerges of 'cheating' boyfriend singing soppy love song in the car he now lives in
The housemate of missing Pheobe Bishop was caught on a dating app by his girlfriend in the lead up to the teenager's mysterious disappearance two weeks ago. Pheobe, 17, was last seen on May 15 when James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, gave her a lift to the airport from their ramshackle home in Gin Gin, near Bundaberg, central Queensland. She told friends she was leaving the 'hellhole' living arrangements - as she branded it - to be with her high school sweetheart in Western Australia. The housemates told police they dropped the teen off at Bundaberg Airport in Bromley's 2011 grey Hyundai ix35 hatchback. But Pheobe never checked into her flight and no CCTV of her at the airport has been found. Now Daily Mail Australia can reveal that in February, Wood had been spotted on Tinder looking for 'short term fun', prompting Bromley's friends to intervene. In the profile photo, Wood can be seen in a cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses and wearing a hi-viz tradie's work shirt with the logo obscured. It also states that he is 34 years old. 'Everyone had been telling Tanika he was cheating,' a friend of the former NDIS support services worker confirmed. 'When her mates found his profile and he denied it they listed it online in one of those 'Sis, is this your man,' Facebook groups to see if anyone had been with him. 'People came forward too, but even with all the proof, she decided to stay with him.' It is unknown why Pheobe was at the house or how long she had been there. Prior to her disappearance, she told her aunt Caz Johnson she was 'up s*** creek,' and couldn't wait to leave. Pheobe claimed her mother, Kylie Johnson, had told her to 'get out' of the family home. She also messaged a friend to say she was heading away to see her boyfriend for 10 days. 'I take off to WA in three days! Get out of this s*** home for a bit so that will be good, just packing atm [at the moment].' Both the Gin Gin house and the Hyundai were sealed off by police and combed over by forensics experts. Up to 11 dead dogs were reportedly removed from the rubbish-strewn yard. The housemates have since been charged with unrelated weapons offences after police impounded the car and allegedly discovered a shortened firearm, two replica handguns and ammunition in the car. Bromley's strict bail conditions include a curfew and that she not see Wood. Police have now released the car and Wood appears to be living in it with at least one dog, after Daily Mail Australia found them sleeping inside the car in a nearby street. He was also filmed and confronted by an angry local, with video later posted online. Last week, days after the teen went missing, he posted a bizarre, two-minute video of himself lounging back in the driver's seat of a car. Heavily filtered, Wood lip-syncs to the 2017 love song Perfect by Ed Sheeran, dramatically closing his eyes and then biting the silver chain around his neck. When lyrics mention 'listening to our favourite song,' Wood looks emotionally at the camera tapping his heart. 'Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know,' he croons along with the song. 'She shares my dreams, I hope that someday, I'll share her home. 'I found a love to carry more than just my secrets. 'To carry love, to carry children of our own.' The car appears to be parked alongside bushland with only grass and trees visible from the windows. He also posted a single black and white selfie with the words: 'Let it never be said I'm not where I need to be on time.' No charges have been laid over Pheobe's disappearance and it is not suggested that Bromley and Wood were involved in her disappearance. The police investigation into her disappearance continues.
