A young mother’s haunting last steps before she vanished without a trace after the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend in 2012 have been released by police.
Claire Holland, 32, was last seen at the Seamus O’Donnell’s pub in St Nicholas Street, Bristol, on the night of Wednesday June 6, 2012.
Mother-of-one Claire, from Lawrence Weston, Bristol, was reported missing by her family a few days later.
Detectives arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of her in 2019 and the now 39-year-old remains released under investigation.
The Major Crime Investigation Team released CCTV footage showing Claire on the day she disappeared in an effort to try and find out what happened to her.
Police are appealing for more information and several targeted searches in and around the Bristol area will be carried out over the next few days.
Mother-of-one Claire Holland, 32, last seen in Bristol on June 6, 2012, on the day after Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend
Extensive CCTV footage of Claire around different places in Bristol, including this Asda, have now been released by police
This CCTV of Claire was taken as she walked into Bristol city centre just before 6pm and shows her marked in a red box
Claire can be seen half an hour later striding across the road in her distinctive black trousers just before 6.30pm
More footage from the evening of June 6, 2012, shows she crossing the road on her way to Seamus O’Donnell’s pub
Senior Investigating Officer Det Insp Darren Hannant said: ‘We’d like the public to cast their mind back to The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend, which was on the weekend of 2-5 June in 2012.
‘Claire went missing the day after this significant national event.
‘CCTV shows Claire walking along Baldwin Street heading towards the Seamus O’Donnell’s pub at around 9.30pm on Wednesday 6 June.
‘We don’t have any footage showing where she went afterwards, but staff have confirmed she did leave the pub later that evening just after closing time, around 11.15pm.
‘It is possible she headed in the direction of the fountains, near the Harbourside, but we don’t have any footage of her doing so, despite extensive reviews of more than 1,000 hours of available CCTV.
‘We’re carrying out a number of intelligence-led searches in the Bristol area today and over the coming days, with some involving the specialist dive team, starting in parts of the city centre and moving to other areas through the week.’
Claire is described as white, around 5ft tall of a small build with shoulder length brown hair that is often tied in a ponytail.
She was last seen wearing black trousers, a short-sleeved black top with a grey t-shirt underneath.
Claire Holland, a mother-of-one, can be seen in Bristol on June 6, 2012, carrying a bag and dressed in black with boots
She was last seen wearing black trousers, a short-sleeved black top with a grey t-shirt underneath and wore her hair out
Footage also shows Claire inside a convenience store on the day she meant missing, buying items from the storekeeper
The camera captures her speaking to the man behind the till who appears to have a spirited chat with her inside the store
Video shows her handing over money to buy her item as the till behind the counter is open ready for the change
Claire can be seen putting her money back into her purse after her purchase moments before leaving the premises
She was also carrying a cream-coloured Primark re-usable carrier bag.
Det Insp Hannant added: ‘At this time, we’re treating Claire’s disappearance as suspicious.
‘Claire had no known reason to go missing of her own accord and had made plans for the week following her disappearance.
‘Claire’s family are being kept up to date on the progress of this investigation and we’re committed to providing them with the answers they need.
‘Specially trained liaison officers will continue to support them at this very difficult time.’
The police are now seeing further information from the public, asking them to watch the CCTV clips and for information from people at the Seamus O’Donnell’s pub on the night Claire was last seen.
Police will also be using an unprecedented method of messaging anyone who was friends with Claire on Facebook in 2012 seeking further information.
If you have information that could help the investigation, you can call the police on 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5219172645.
Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website www.crimestoppers-uk.org – they never ask for your name or trace your call
Source: Daily Mail
