Police have today detailed the last known movements of a teenage
soldier who vanished on a night out almost a week ago in a
desperate bid to trace him.

As fears continue to grow for Josh Thomas, it has
been revealed the 18-year-old was out drinking with friends
from Brompton Barracks in Rochester High Street last Tuesday after
finishing his exams.

The group visited the City Wall bar in Rochester High
Street and stayed drinking heavily until the early hours of
Wednesday.

Josh (pictured right) left the bar, sat outside on a bench with
a friend and then walked onto Rochester Bridge a few hundred yards
away.

Insp Ada Leppard, of Kent Police, said: "He got a little way
across, fell over then a member of the public stopped in a vehicle
and we'd love that person to come forward.

"On CCTV the black hatchback goes past Josh, then reverses up
and I believe a conversation took place.

"Mum and dad, Gary and Violet, are aware Josh was seen to be
very drunk.

"He's weaving all over the place when he's walking so he'd have
been very noticeable and I'd say the member of the public was
stopping out of concern."

Josh was then seen just before 1am walking back off Rochester
Bridge the way he came.

The last CCTV image is of Josh on a traffic island in the middle
of the A2 outside the Crown pub - then he vanished.

Insp Ada Leppard appeals
for information about missing soldier Josh Thomas next to Rochester
Bridge where witnesses are being sought

Parents of the teen's friends were in Rochester High Street
today putting up appeal posters.

One friend's mother, who did not want to be named, said: "My son
was there with him that night. They were all celebrating doing
their tests. They're electricians in the Royal Engineers.

"We've been concerned how our son's feeling about it all. We
just feel so helpless, we're all parents and to have something like
that happen to your son, it makes you feel desperate and
useless.

"He loves the Army, it's his life. He would never go Awol
[absent without official leave]."

Police have been using a boat, helicopter and the Army's help to
search the mudbanks and marshes of the River Medway and will be
re-watching all CCTV for anything they have missed.

Insp Leppard said of the river: "It's a fast-running current.
For even the strongest swimmer that would cause difficulties in the
river, so it's a big danger point.

"We haven't used police divers at the moment - the
reason for that is because the river's very open. If it was
somewhere contained like a lake or a pond obviously we'd have
parameters of search."

She added: "He is a likeable lad, he was out with friends, very
happy-go-lucky, very happy in himself."

More than 1,000 people have joined a Facebook group to plead for the soldier's safe return since he was reported missing on Wednesday.

Josh, originally from Neath, South Wales, is described as white,
slim and about 5ft 9in with short, dark brown hair.

On the night he disappeared he was wearing a dark blue Lyle and
Scott jumper with a white and red collar, grey jeans and white
Converse trainers.

The party-loving teen wrote several entries on his own Twitter
account about life away from the Army, including rugby, nights out,
trips home and watching Swansea City FC.

His last entry was on Sunday, April 7, when he wrote: "Dear
Easter leave, thanks for bleeding me dry and intoxicating my liver
beyond recognition. Ps, see you next April. #suffering."

Kent Police boat on the
River Medway amid a huge search for Josh Thomas

His cousin Kara Louise Bowman posted on Facebook: "We miss him
so much. We are all devastated. It's the worst thing that can
happen.

"This is a high-risk missing persons case. He went missing after
a night out. If he was going Awol, he would not have got drunk to
do it. It's cold and wet out and Josh could be anywhere.

"We just want to find him safe and well. Please keep sharing, as
the more that are aware, the better the chance of finding him."

She added: "It's such a comfort to see all the support behind
us."

Insp Leppard also thanked the public, saying: "The whole
community's joined in to try and find Josh which is fabulous for
his parents."