More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
The father of a missing soldier is travelling to Kent today to meet the police team investigating his disappearance.
Josh Thomas vanished over a week ago during a night out in Rochester with friends.
The 18-year-old, who is a soldier with the Royal Engineers at Brompton Barracks, was last seen by friends outside the City Wall pub in Rochester during the early hours of Wednesday, April 10.
Josh’s dad, Gary Thomas, who lives in West Glamorgan, Wales said he would travelling to Kent with his mother, Josh’s grandmother.
“We are going up to meet with police officers doing the investigation and will be meeting the Army officers,” he said. “We are going to walk the route where Josh was last seen.”
In a desperate attempt to find him friends have been putting up missing posters and more than 2,000 have joined a Facebook group called Help find Josh Thomas.
Meanwhile, this grainy CCTV image above could help piece together the final moments before the teenage squaddie disappeared after a night out.
A Kent Police boat on the River Medway during the search
The picture captures 18-year-old Josh Thomas outside the Crown pub shortly before 1am, minutes before he went missing following an evening out with friends in Rochester.
Josh was last seen by a pal outside the City Wall pub in Rochester last Wednesday.
Now, a week after he disappeared, police have stepped up their appeal... issuing this picture and calling on two potential witnesses to come forward.
Josh had been with a group from the Royal Engineers, based at Brompton Barracks, who had been drinking heavily after completing exams.
He is seen on CCTV walking on Rochester bridge towards Corporation Street just before 1am when a black hatchback car stops next to him.
The car is seen to drive off and then reverse back.
The missing persons poster near where Josh was last seen
The last image shows Josh on a traffic island in the middle of the A2 outside the Crown pub.
Police are now calling for two males riding small BMX bikes along Corporation Street, Strood-bound, captured on CCTV just minutes after Josh, to come forward.
They are then seen riding along the High Street, heading back towards Rochester at just before 2am.
Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Rik Spicer of Kent Police, said: "CCTV shows two males on small bikes riding along Corporation Street just minutes after Josh had been there.
"I would appeal to them to come forward and help us with any information that might prove helpful in locating Josh."
Josh, who comes from Wales, is a soldier at the barracks on Dock Road in Chatham.
He is said to be white, about 5ft 9ins tall, slim with short dark brown hair.
He was wearing a dark blue Lyle and Scott jumper with white and red collar, grey jeans and white Converse trainers.
