Detectives investigating the disappearance of a Royal Navy sailor more than 37 years ago are searching a car park in Gibraltar after receiving new information.
Simon Parks, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986 when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, docked in the area.
His disappearance was previously part of Hampshire Police's investigation into serial killer Alan Grimson, a former junior officer, who was jailed for life for the murders of two young men and was serving on board the aircraft carrier at the same time as Mr Parkes. .
The police had previously dug a grave in Tarek mountain.
Last August, they searched the Town Range car park – and now, following a “new line of investigation”, officers from Hampshire Police They are back there.
New searches are underway in a car park in Gibraltar
A force spokesman said officers were carrying out a “small amount of additional excavation” at the site after “another potential area of interest within the car park was identified to us”.
“Led team Hampshire He added: “Isle of Wight Police, made up of specially trained police and military detectives and search officers, will be working in Gibraltar during the week commencing January 15 as we continue to investigate what happened to Simon Parkes.”
“The operational activity is part of our work to evaluate a new line of investigation that has been presented to us.
“This latest activity follows work carried out in August 2023 where a small amount of excavation was undertaken at the Town Range car park.
“Although nothing has been found to progress the investigation, another potential area of interest within the car park has been identified for us.
“This investigation remains a collaborative process between Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and the Royal Gibraltar Constabulary with support from the Ministry of Defence.”
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Mr Parks, the radio operator, was 18 when he disappeared.
He went ashore but never returned on board, and when the ship returned to Portsmouth days later, no one knew what had happened to him despite a massive manhunt.
The force spokesman added: “Since then, investigations into his disappearance have so far failed to find answers to his long-suffering parents.”
Grimson was jailed in 2001 at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of Marine Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicestershire, and bartender Sion Jenkins from Newbury, Berkshire.
He has always denied any involvement in Mr Parks' disappearance.
