Sighting heralds hope in hunt for Sam Theobald-Brown (From Swindon Advertiser)

Sighting heralds hope in hunt for Sam Theobald-Brown

6:12pm Friday 20th January 2012 in News By Scott D'Arcy

THE frantic search for missing barman Sam Theobald-Brown took a fresh twist yesterday as detectives focused on a possible sighting in Birmingham.

The 21-year-old left his home above TPs bar, where he also worked, without his jacket or phone at around 10am on January 9 and was last seen on CCTV at Bristol Temple Meads railway station at 11.37am that same morning. He has not been seen or heard from in the 12 days since.

He went missing following a relationship breakdown and his family are desperate to know he is alive and well as his disappearance is completely out of character.

Since the 21-year-old vanished, friends and family have launched a huge online appeal and carried out tireless searches in Swindon and Bristol.

Police have received numerous tip-offs from the public, including another three in Bristol and one in Manchester, and detectives have scoured CCTV footage from both cities but none turned out to be Sam.

Wiltshire Police have been working with Avon and Somerset, Greater Manchester and now West Midlands forces in a bid to track him down.

Detective Sergeant Emma Spooner said officers were now focused on confirming the sighting in the city centre area of Birmingham.

She said: “We had officers viewing the CCTV in Birmingham and we are trying to establish if it is Sam.

“We have concentrated all our resources on that reported sighting as it may be our best hope of finding where he might be now.”

It comes after mum Debbie Brown and dad Allen Theobald pleaded with the popular former Commonweal pupil to get in touch if he can.

Sam has previously spent a lot of time in Bristol and it was believed that he was still in that area.

He is described as white, 6ft tall, of stocky build, with short dark hair.

He is thought to be wearing the same clothes as when he was last seen – grey tracksuit bottoms, navy ‘Superdry’ jumper with yellow writing and blue trainers.

Anyone with any information should contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or visit the dedicated Facebook page at www.facebook.com/whereissammo.