Police searching for missing Angus Royal Marine Ralph Hebden have vowed to do whatever they can to find him.
Exactly a week on from when the 32-year-old was last seen, Tayside Police officers were at Arbroath’s Morrison’s supermarket as part of the extensive missing person inquiry.
Over the past week officers from Tayside have joined forces with the coastguard and Royal Marines to look for Mr Hebden, who is a native of Liverpool and is also set to become a father in only a matter of weeks.
Appeals for information as to Ralph’s whereabouts, including a heart-felt call to come home from his wife Sarah, have evoked a swell of public support and sympathy for the marine and his family but have so far failed to yield any further sightings.
He was last seen at the supermarket after indicating that he was going for a monring run near the Arbroath cliffs. The clifftop area was also the scene of intense search activity last week.
The man leading the inquiry said officers were attempting to garner any further information from shoppers who routinely visit the store at the time Mr Hebden was last seen.
Inspector Ally Robertson said: “Our officers are at the railway station and the bus station as well, trying to jog people’s memory.
“We are following positive lines of inquiry, a lot of officers are dedicated to the search and we are also working with other forces.
“All last week we had a lot of people searching along the coastline with our partners in the coastguard and the Royal Marines.
“We did a lot at the coast and farms nearby and I thank the farmers for their tolerance and patience while we carried out our work.”
Inspector Robertson confirmed that his officers were working with Merseyside Police and speaking to friends, groups and organisations that Ralph may be linked with.
Those connections include right-wing political bodies, members of which are among the hundreds that have appealed for Ralph’s safe return.
Inspector Robertson added: “In missing person situations we try to establish who the subject’s friends or associates are and we will try to find out anything we can about Ralph from them,”
“What I am focusing on is getting Ralph back to his heavily pregnant wife that is my main focus and it always will be. We have as many associates and partners working on this as we can and that gives us positive lines of inquiry.
“Ralph’s disappearance is out of character and we are going to work as hard as we can to get him back.”
“The public in Arbroath are very good when it comes to these things. Sarah (Ralph’s wife) is really appreciative of the public goodwill towards Ralph and trying to get him back.
“I have no doubt that people are looking at this situation of a heavily pregnant woman who wants her husband back and it has appealed to their conscience,” said Inspector Robertson.
If you have any information that may assist Tayside Police in the search for Ralph contact the force on 101.