Three people arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the disappearance of a man more than 20 years ago have been released on bail pending further police enquiries.
Robert Scott Clive, known as Scott, was last seen in North Shields at about 11pm on 10 October 2002.
The then 30-year-old had recently moved to the North Tyneside town from Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
He was reported missing by his family, which prompted police to launch a murder inquiry despite no body being found.
On Saturday, Northumbria Police announced it had arrested two men, aged in their 40s and 50s, and a woman, aged in her 40s, on suspicion of murder in light of “new information”.
A 49-year-old man was arrested last summer in connection with the investigation, with the force confirming he is one of the trio detained at the weekend.
In an update on Monday, a force spokesperson told Sky News: “The three arrested have since been bailed pending further police enquiries.”
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An address in the Coronation Street area of North Shields, where Mr Clive is known to have visited on the night he disappeared, is also being searched as part of the probe.
Detective Inspector Mark Atherton, who is leading on the case, said: “We are doing everything we can to provide Scott’s family with the answers they deserve.
“I am again urging anybody who lived on Coronation Street at the time of his disappearance, or has information about Scott’s movements that night, to come forward.
“The information you have could prove key in our investigations.”
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Investigating officers have reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and spoken to various witnesses as part of efforts to piece together Mr Clive’s movements on the night he went missing.
Unconfirmed sightings in the early hours of the following morning placed a man matching Mr Clive’s description near the banks of the River Tyne.
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Speaking last year, Mr Clive’s mother, Patricia Clive, said the family “can’t bear this torment any longer”.
She added: “I have four grandsons and the eldest has just turned 30 – the age Scott was when he went missing.
“We can’t help but make comparisons – he is living his life to the full and has everything we wished for Scott.”
