Bocking: Search for missing Martyn continues one month on

The officers searching for a man missing since 24 August have issued a fresh appeal as they carry out a new extensive search in the area he was last seen.

Martyn Richardson was seen in the Bocking area at around 8.30pm on a Saturday evening last month and was reported missing when he hadn’t returned home the following day, Sunday 25 August.

The 27-year-old was seen on CCTV riding a blue bicycle that has since been recovered undamaged by officers close to the area he was last seen.

Our local officers have carried out the search with support from our Marine Unit working in and around the River Blackwater nearby, Essex Search and Rescue, Braintree District Council and colleagues in Kent Police.

We have used thermal imaging cameras and drones to search the area from above, carried out multiple house-to-house enquiries and reviewed hours of CCTV from buildings surrounding the area he was last seen.

Last weekend the search by our officers saw them on the land between Broad Road and Church Lane. And this week we have continued to search in the area where Martyn’s bike was found.

All this work has helped us rule out several possibilities, however we are still looking for Martyn.

His family are appealing for any information or help from anyone who has not already come forward.

Martyn’s nan Mary said:

“It has now been five weeks since Martyn went missing and we are desperate for any information that may help us find him or information of where he went that night.
"Please if anyone knows anything no matter how small come forward Martyn we all love and miss you so much.”

He was last seen wearing a grey hoodie with a long-sleeved top underneath with a stripe down the arms, black fleece shorts, and black shoes.

We also still want to speak to four people we believe may have seen Martyn on the Saturday evening he went missing, and may have crucial information about his movements.

A group of three dog walkers, and an individual person, were both seen walking in The Chase, close to Dorewards Avenue and Dorewards Farm, at about 8.45pm on Saturday 24 August.

Inspector Phil Jackson said:

“It’s been over a month since Martyn was last seen. Like his family, with every day that passes we are growing more and more concerned.”
"With this appeal for information we are sharing two new photos of Martyn. We are asking everyone to look at these photos, to think about the description of the clothes he was last seen wearing, and think about whether you know anything that may help us.
"Small details may be incredibly important for our investigation, so contact us if you think you know something you’ve not shared before.
"As we continue our search, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners for their devoted work in the search for Martyn over the past month.”

Do you have any information?

Please quote incident 324 of 25 August.