Thomas Jones: Broken river CCTV 'missed vital clues'

Thomas Jones, 18, went missing in the early hours of 19 September

The parents of a student found dead in a river said "vital clues" were missed on the night he went missing because a council CCTV camera was not working.

Thomas Jones, 18, disappeared nine days before his body was recovered from the River Severn in Worcester.

Ian and Vicki Jones said if the camera on Sabrina Bridge, where he was last seen, had worked it could have aided police in the search for their son.

Worcester City Council said the camera had not worked for a year.

Mr Jones said the camera could have picked up "vital clues" during his son's last movements.

He added: "If they just had two or three cameras in and around Sabrina Bridge it could answer so many questions."

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Mr Jones is thought to have crossed the footbridge, near to Worcester Racecourse, at about 03:50 BST on 19 September, and walked on to a footpath that runs along the top of flood defences.

A body recovered from the river on 29 September was formally identified as the missing Worcester University student, West Mercia Police said.

Officers are treating the death of the teenager, from Bromsgrove, as "unexplained".

A Worcester City Council spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with Thomas Jones's family at this very sad time.

"The council has a network of CCTV cameras across Worcester. At any point in time one or more cameras may not be fully operational due to technical issues or routine maintenance, and on this occasion this particular camera was not working."

The University of Worcester has contributed £200,000 to the council towards the cost of CCTV in the city and could adopt the camera over Sabrina Bridge.

A spokeswoman added: "While we understand that, of course, CCTV on public routes is very much the responsibility of the public authorities concerned, we have inquired with the city council about the possibility of bringing these specific cameras into the university's system and will be continuing these discussions going forward."

On Sunday, hundreds of people held a candlelit vigil on the bridge where he was last seen alive.

Thomas Jones's parents had previously thanked people for their support

Mr Jones was starting a primary teaching course and had moved to the city from his home in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, on 16 September.

Two 20-year-old men arrested on suspicion of murder on 21 September in connection with Mr Jones' disappearance were released without charge.

More than 17,000 people have signed a petition calling for CCTV to be placed along the River Severn in the city.