Father of boy who vanished in North Ayrshire 40 years ago 'thinks about him all the time'
The father of a young boy who vanished without trace 40 years ago says he thinks about his son all the time and remembers the day he disappeared ``like it was yesterday''.
The father of a young boy who vanished without trace 40 years ago says he thinks about his son all the time and remembers the day he disappeared like it was yesterday''.
Phil Davidson, 66, told a newspaper it was as if a spaceship came down and took him away'' when his three-year-old son Sandy went missing in North Ayrshire in 1976.
Sandy Davidson disappeared from his grandmother's garden in the Bourtreehill area of Irvine on April 23 that year, when he was just a month short of his fourth birthday.
He was playing at the home in St Kilda Street with his younger sister Donna, then aged two, when the family dog escaped from the garden. Sandy is thought to have chased after the pet, but he never returned.
Despite an extensive search by the police and members of the community for the boy - who had distinctive blue eyes and curly blonde hair - no trace of Sandy was found and there have been no positive sightings of him since 1976.
On Saturday, police launched a fresh push for information about the disappearance in a bid to end the 40-year limbo'' his family has endured.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail, Mr Davidson said: It has been 40 years but feels like 40 minutes. I still think about him every day. I still see him every day in my head.''
He added: It was as if a spaceship came down, took him up and took him away. I think about Sandy all the time.''
Mr Davidson told the newspaper it was a terrible time'' when his son vanished, and that hunting for him waslike looking for a needle in a haystack''.
He has urged anyone with any possible new information to get in touch with police and said: Not knowing where he is kills me. We are all in limbo. He was my first born.''
On the 40th anniversary of the disappearance, Police Scotland renewed an appeal for any information which could help solve the mystery of what happened to the boy.
Detective Superintendent David Halliday, the senior investigating officer, said: ''It's hard to imagine the distress and sadness Sandy's family have endured over the last 40 years, not knowing what has happened to their beloved son and brother, who was only a toddler when he went missing.
''Despite the passage of time, this missing person investigation remains open and I'd like to ask people to cast their minds back to Friday April 23 1976. Did you live in Bourtreehill in Irvine, specifically around the area where Sandy was last seen in St Kilda Street?
''Friday April 23 1976 was a relatively warm day as Sandy played outside with his sister Donna. The community of Bourtreehill was tight-knit and mostly everyone knew their neighbour.
''Did you see Sandy when he left his grandmother's garden?
Over the years, Donna has worked tirelessly in an attempt to trace Sandy and his whereabouts, and has led various campaigns.
Officers said they have been working closely with the charity Missing People to renew the appeal to find Sandy and will be publicising his images over digital billboards and online to try to raise awareness of his disappearance.
Police Scotland can be contacted on the 101 number.