Man 'assisting with enquiries' in missing Dundee mum case

Police identify man who was the last person seen with mother-of-three Mary McLaren, who has been missing for almost two weeks.



Police say a man who was captured in CCTV images of the last known sighting of missing Dundee woman Mary McLaren is "assisting them with their enquiries" after he was identified by members of the public.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of the 34-year-old last week released images of a man seen dancing with Mary in the city's Fat Sams nightclub - taken by a reveller at the club.

They have now identified the man seen dancing with her - and walking with her in the streets outside - after receiving a number of calls naming the individual.

Mary was last seen in the early hours of Thursday February 25 in Dundee's Marketgait. The mother-of-three has not been in contact with her family or friends since.

Detective Chief Inspector Shaun McKillop, the senior investigating officer, said fears were growing for Mary.

He said: "We have now identified the man who was seen with Mary in Fat Sams nightclub on the night of Wednesday 24 February and who was seen walking with her in Marketgait in the early hours of Thursday February 25. He is currently assisting us with our enquiries.

"Mary was last seen with the man in Marketgait near to its junction with King Street at around 3am on Thursday 25 February. As a result of this we have carried out door to door enquiries and leaflet drops in the area and a number of searches have also taken place.

"The incident room is receiving lots of information on a daily basis through public appeals. Together with the work officers have carried out on the street, CCTV reviews, and good detective work we are starting to build up a clearer picture of Mary’s movements on the night she disappeared.

"However, we still need assistance from members of the public to tell us where Mary went after she was last seen near King Street. I would urge anyone who has any information, no matter how trivial they think that information might be, to get in touch with us.

"We now have in excess of fifty officers and police staff across a number of specialisms including uniform officers, detective officers, search officers, dog handlers and CCTV review officers dedicated to this enquiry."

Mary is 5ft 2 in height, of slim build, and has long brown hair, blue eyes, and walks with a limp. On the night of her disappearance she was wearing a distinctive black and white leopard print dress, black leggings, a white duffel coat and flat black shoes. She was also carrying a small black handbag and a pink inflatable adult toy.

DCI McKillop added: "As time passes, concern for Mary’s safety is growing. There have been no confirmed sightings of her, and she has failed to contact any family members or friends.

"This is completely out of character for Mary and her family are understandably deeply distressed and worried. We have two police family liaison officers working with the family throughout the enquiry keeping them up-dated and informed on what we are doing."

A police spokeswoman added: "Anyone who has any information regarding Mary’s disappearance should get in touch with Tayside Police on 0300 111 2222 or speak to any police officer. Information can also be passed on anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."