Missing borders man probe stretches to Pitlochry

Nov 4 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

BORDERS police are spreading their net as far away as Pitlochry in a search for a missing man who vanished more than two months ago.

The last confirmed sighting of landscape architect Steven Hope was around 8am on August 25 on CCTV filmed in a Co-op store in Old Town, Peebles, a stone’s throw from his home in Greenside.

But the 43-year-old has not been seen or heard from since and friends and family now have grave concerns while investigators look further afield having drawn a blank after searching southern waterways.

One theory is that as a keen angler, Mr Hope may have travelled to a favourite fishing spot, such as Pitlochry which he was known to frequent, or even to Inverness where he has friends.

Insp Mike Wynne of Lothian and Borders Police said investigators had released the CCTV image in the hope that it might jog the memory of anyone who may have seen him.

“We want to hear from anyone who has employed Steven’s services in recent months, as they may have information that can assist our inquiries.

“Likewise, we want to hear from anyone else who may have seen or heard from him since he went missing.”

On the day he vanished, Mr Hope was wearing a white t-shirt, camouflage trousers and brown boots.

He may also have worn a green or brown coloured waxed fishing jacket – a favourite piece of apparel.

A solidly built man, Mr Hope is 5’10” tall, shaven headed, with green eyes and a Celtic tribal tattoo running across his back between the shoulder blades.

Another distinguishing feature is an eight-inch skin graft on his right arm.

Contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.