Sarm Heslop: Caribbean island police criticised over CCTV

More than 18 months after Sarm Heslop vanished, what happened to the former flight attendant is still unclear

The family and friends of a woman missing from a yacht off the US Virgin Islands have criticised police for not releasing footage of her last sighting.

Sarm Heslop, from Southampton, was reported missing by her boyfriend Ryan Bane off St John on 8 March 2021.

A year after she vanished, her parents met with police where they were shown footage of the couple leaving a bar.

They say the clothes their daughter was wearing in the video did not match those reported by Mr Bane.

The BBC has contacted Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) and Mr Bane's lawyer for comment.

The former flight attendant is believed to have gone for dinner in St John with Mr Bane on 7 March

Ms Heslop's parents, Peter Heslop and Brenda Street, had previously been told there was no CCTV recording from the bar "420 to Center", her friends in the UK have said.

But when they visited the island in March - a year after their daughter's disappearance - they were shown the footage of the couple as they left the bar.

In the CCTV Ms Heslop is seen wearing either a skirt or shorts and a top, the BBC was told.

"Her boyfriend, Ryan Bane, told police and Sarm's parents and friends that she was wearing a black dress with flowers on.

"There was not a black dress with flowers on in her belongings when these were returned to her parents some months after her disappearance," her friends added.

Sarm Heslop had been staying on the catamaran Siren Song with her boyfriend, Ryan Bane

Her parents and friends say they have repeatedly asked the island's police for a copy of the CCTV footage so they could release it to the media.

"But the USVI Police have declined to provide this stating that it would jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

"Why would police not release the CCTV footage of Sarm's last movements?" they said.

Since Ms Heslop's family visited St John in March "little to no communication has been received from the US authorities regarding the investigation", they added.

Ms Heslop, a former flight attendant, had been staying and working with Mr Bane, a US citizen, on the catamaran.

He reported her missing to police at 02:30 on 8 March but it was a further nine hours before he called the coastguard, shortly after 11:45.

Ms Heslop's possessions, including her bank cards and mobile phone, were still onboard the catamaran when she vanished.

US citizen Mr Bane reported Sarm Heslop missing to police at 02:30 on 8 March

In April 2021, the island's police force said detectives had been unable to confirm if she was onboard the catamaran as reported by Mr Bane on 7 March.

Mr Bane, the last person to have seen her, has previously declined detectives' request for an interview, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD).

A full forensic search of the catamaran has never been carried out.

Ms Heslop's friends set up a Facebook page to share information about her disappearance and previously offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information.