Hartlepool man missing after Brussels attacks

David Dixon hasn't been seen since yesterday morning.

Published 23rd Mar 2016

A Brit missing in the aftermath of the Brussels attacks has not been in contact with his partner since the bombs went off and may have been on the Metro at the time.

David Dixon, who lives in Brussels but is originally from Hartlepool, was travelling to work on Tuesday morning but did not arrive at his office.

Friends on social media have been appealing for information on his whereabouts and asking anyone with information to contact his partner Charlotte Sutcliffe. Simon Hartley-Jones, who described himself as a "very good friend'' of Mr Dixon, said he was missing and asked his followers to retweet the appeal to find him.

He tweeted a photo of Mr Dixon, who wears glasses and has been pictured with short grey hair, captioned: "He was in the metro system, he didn't arrive to his office and we still haven't reached him.''

Photos of Mr Dixon, including one of him with a little boy, were also circulated on social media.

His Facebook page shows that he studied Economics at Newcastle University and used to work for British Airways.

Meanwhile,

Counter-terrorism expert Helen Fenwick, from Durham Uni has told us what the implications for the North East will be.

She thinks the Brussels bombings will undoubtedly impact travellers as security is likely to be upped in airports and train stations.

She said:

"We may see a greater security presence at airports, in other words armed police, but I think in terms of longer term security measures, such as the possibility of putting security measures right at the gate of an airport so you can't even go into the airport without going through queues and security. We may see that which obviously will be inconvenient"

Helen believes the chosen locations of the bombings suggest the terrorists were targeting tourists specifically.

She said:

"I think it wasn't a coincidence the sites were clearly chosen. As I understand it the attack took place close to an American Airlines desk in the Brussels airport, where one would imagine quite a lot of tourists would be obviously in that vicinity. I think it was deliberately targeting not just residents."

Although Helen says security needs to be increased, she thinks it will be difficult to protect every transport site:

"Obviously it’s a horrible atrocity and coming fairly close after the Paris attacks, it is very worrying to know that transport hubs are going to be targeted and it's very difficult to have security in place at all of them even though you know an attack and one of these places is quite likely."