Paul Booth: Sister of missing man fears remains found in Fife could be his

The remains were found inside a unit on an industrial estate in Fife.

However, extensive enquiries have so far failed to find out who he is or what happened to him.

But Pauline Gibson has contacted police after she was sent the image by concerned friends who pointed out the similarities to her brother Paul, who vanished from his Cumbernauld home in October 2016.

Image: Police Scotland

The alarm was raised about his disappearance after a support worker arrived at his home to find the door wide open and his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier Lady left behind, as well as his keys, wallet and mobile phone.

Pauline Gibson told the Daily Record: "When I first saw the photo of the reconstruction I didn't think it was Paul but I had a look at other photos and similarities began to show.

"The shape of the face, the mouth and he did have some problems with his teeth. Paul also walked with a slight limp. I've contacted the police to ask if it's possible it's Paul.

"My emotions are mixed. You want it to be them for closure but at the same time you don't want it to be as that means he's not just missing anymore but gone. It's always at the back of your mind and then you hear of a body being found and you wonder if that's when police are going to contact you.

"It was so out of character for Paul to just go without telling one of us. He kept in touch. Over the years we've had all sorts of information from he's on fishing boats in Aberdeen to get free from drugs and others demanding money to tell us where he is."

Pauline explained that her brother was badly attacked a few months before he vanished and she can't help but wonder if something sinister has happened to him.

She said: "He was beaten quite badly and we almost lost him. He spent months in recovery after that attack and needed carers.

"You can't help but wonder if someone has dragged him out of the house and something terrible has happened to him. We know he wouldn't have just left Lady behind like that.

"I'm hoping to hear back from the police and if it's not Paul then you feel for some other family who will get the call to say it's their loved one. In a way I'm hoping for some closure. I don't think my brother is still alive and I want to know what has happened to him."

Police are hoping someone will recognise the reconstruction after forensic work indicated that the remains belonged to a man aged at least 35, and probably significantly older, slight build and around 5ft 8ins. He had lost a number of teeth during his life and had a surgical plate fixed to his left ankle sometime between late 1998 and early 1999.

Plates bearing this batch number were acquired in the UK by hospitals in Fife, Sheffield and Ashford, Kent in December 1998 and the plate may have been fitted during surgery carried out at a hospital in one of these areas.

Read more: Cumbernauld woman fears missing brother dead as she faces second Christmas without him

Pauline previously told the Glasgow Times: "Paul would do anything for anybody. He is an animal lover and very family orientated.

"If he is alive, I would slap him and then give him a hug. It is just no like him to do this.

"One way or another I want him to be found so we can get closure. This not knowing is heart-wrenching."

Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Houliston, the senior investigating officer, said: “Missing person reports across the UK have been checked and enquiries made with Health Authorities in relation to the surgical plate without success to this point. The work done by Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University has provided us with a representation of the man’s face based on details from the remains that were found.

“I hope that people will take a look and see if they recognise this man whose remains have been on the estate for a period of time. We want to be able to reunite him with his family and also find out what happened to him.

“If the face, or any of the details that are mentioned today, jogs anyone’s memory then please get in touch with Police Scotland by calling 101, quoting incident number 2692, of 27 September.”