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Family of man who vanished in Spain 'deserve answers'

Family handout A man with a tan jacket, black shirt and gold chain around his neck smiles for the camera. He has short cropped hair and is sitting down, in what looks like a bar or community event, with other people sitting at tables behind him. Family handout
Gary Shearer disappeared hours after arriving in Lanzarote

The family of a Renfrewshire man who disappeared in Lanzarote two years ago are travelling to Spain in an attempt to persuade police to reopen the case.

Gary Shearer vanished hours after arriving for a holiday on 16 March 2023.

CCTV footage released by Spain's Civil Guard showed the 53-year-old walking with an unidentified man in the early hours of 17 March, but the man has never been tracked down.

Mr Shearer's niece Darcie Deeney - one of the family members going to Spain - told BBC Scotland News they believed "something sinister" had happened to him.

Ms Deeney said that she hoped someone on the island might have information that would help them understand what happened to Mr Shearer, who went to the island to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

She told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme: "We've realised at this stage that he's never going to come back. But we want to know what happened – Gary, and us as a family deserve answers.

"We think something sinister has happened but we just need any information to really process what's going on."

Family handout A man sits on a wall with the sea behind him. He is wearing a pale green Celtic away top, shorts and holding a jacket in one hand, while smiling directly into camera. Family handout
Gary Shearer had travelled to the island to celebrate St Patrick's Day

Mr Shearer had messaged his mother Ann McMurray at around 17:00 to say he had arrived at his hotel on Puerto del Carmen and was going out to Bar 67.

He was later seen on camera lying unconscious in a doorway near the bar around 01:30 the following day, while other footage showed him walking with a man aged between 60-70 with grey hair.

Ms Deeney added: "No-one has ever come forward and said they know who the man is. We believe that man might know the direction Gary went, or could provide us more information."

His family grew concerned after he didn't contact them for days, but police only investigated when he missed his flight back to Scotland.

They discovered Mr Shearer's bank card, passport and medicine for his diabetes in his hotel room, but no sign of his phone.

They closed the case last year, citing a lack of information. However Ms Deeney, who will be joined by Mr Shearer's mum on the trip to Spain, is hoping that any new information could help restart an investigation.

She said: "We're just hoping we can spread Gary's story as much as possible – someone might have information that's helpful to us but not realise it. That could help us get the case opened up again."