CHILLING LAST CCTV OF MISSING TEENAGER RELEASED 30 YEARS LATER AS POLICE SAY HE COULD STILL BE ALIVE – DESPITE NINE ARRESTS

A teenager who vanished without a trace after a night out with friends 30 years ago could still be alive, police have revealed as they release footage showing his final known movements.

Damien Nettles was just 16 when he disappeared in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, England, on November 2, 1996.

Three decades later, his family is still desperately searching for answers. Despite an extensive investigation involving nine arrests, no one has ever been charged, no body has been found and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unexplained.

Now, on the 30th anniversary of the case, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has renewed its appeal for information, urging anyone who knows something about Damien’s disappearance to come forward.

THE LAST KNOWN IMAGES OF DAMIEN

Damien, known to friends as “Damo,” had spent the evening socialising with friends in Cowes.

Earlier that day, he had been shopping in Newport for clothes and guitar strings. At approximately 7:30 p.m., his father dropped him off at a friend’s house on Fellows Road in West Cowes.

Damien later travelled with a friend to East Cowes, where they spent several hours, including attending a house party on Grange Road.

The pair returned across the River Medina at around 10:15 p.m. and later went their separate ways after visiting the Fountain Inn.

At approximately 10:45 p.m., Damien parted company with his friend near the junction of Terminus Road and Granville Road.

Over the next hour, he was spotted at several locations along Cowes High Street.

At around 11:40 p.m., he entered Yorkies fish and chip shop, where security cameras captured him waiting to order food.

The CCTV footage shows the teenager wearing a black fleece jacket and blue jeans.

Around 10 minutes later, Damien was reportedly seen at a bus stop on Carvel Lane, attempting to take a photograph with a disposable camera.

His final confirmed sighting came shortly after midnight.

He was seen eating his chips while walking alone along Cowes High Street in the direction of Gurnard, where he was expected to be heading home.

After that, he vanished.

There has been no confirmed sighting of Damien since that night.

NINE PEOPLE ARRESTED – BUT NO ANSWERS

Over the past three decades, detectives have pursued numerous leads in an effort to establish what happened.

According to police, nine people have been arrested in connection with the investigation. All were subsequently released without charge and no further action was taken against them.

Officers have also identified 14 people of interest over the years, who were later eliminated from the investigation.

The scale of the inquiry has been substantial.

Police say more than 1,100 people have been involved in Operation Ridgewood, the investigation into Damien’s disappearance.

Detectives have reviewed more than 2,500 documents, including approximately 360 witness statements, while searches have been carried out at 20 locations.

Despite those efforts, investigators have never established what happened to the teenager.

Police say they are keeping an open mind about his fate.

They have not ruled out the possibility that Damien could still be alive, that he may have suffered an accident, or that another person may have been involved.

However, detectives stressed that they have never found evidence proving he was murdered or that he fell into the water.

Police also clarified that the renewed appeal was prompted by the 30th anniversary of his disappearance, rather than a new breakthrough in the investigation.

‘WE HAVE MISSED DAMIEN EVERY DAY FOR THREE DECADES’

For Damien’s family, the unanswered questions have meant 30 years of uncertainty and heartbreak.

His mother, Valerie Nettles, said the family has never stopped missing him.

“We have missed Damien every day for three decades,” she said.

She explained that not knowing what happened to her son was the most distressing part, leaving the family with countless unanswered questions.

Valerie also rejected speculation that Damien had simply chosen to disappear.

She described him as a kind and gentle young man with a brilliant sense of humour, adding that the family still remembers the little things that made him who he was.

Damien had been planning for his future before he vanished. He was interested in music, played guitar and trombone, and had formed a band with friends.

He had also changed schools so he could study psychology at A-level and was considering going to university.

His family continues to hold onto those memories while hoping that someone will finally come forward with information.

POLICE BELIEVE SOMEONE MAY HOLD THE MISSING PIECE

Detective Inspector Howard Broadribb said investigators had recently reviewed intelligence gathered throughout the case and were prepared to examine any new information.

He believes someone may know something that could help solve the mystery, even if that information initially seems insignificant.

The detective urged anyone who has remained silent for years, or who may have additional details, to contact police.

The family is still waiting for the one answer that could finally explain what happened to Damien on that November night in 1996.

Thirty years have passed. The CCTV remains one of the last glimpses of a teenager who walked into a takeaway shop, ordered food and continued down the street — never to be seen again.

For his loved ones, the hope of finding out what happened has never disappeared.

Anyone with information can contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary on 101, quoting Operation Ridgewood (44990106843). Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.