Andrew Gosden: Father of missing boy marks son's 30th birthday

Andrew Gosden disappeared when he was 14 years old

The father of a teenager who went missing 16 years ago has said he "still misses him intensely" as he marked his son's 30th birthday.

Andrew Gosden, from Doncaster, was last seen on September 14 2007 at King's Cross Station after skipping school and buying a one-way ticket to London.

Dad Kevin said he had faced depression and it "never seems to become easier".

Two men were held in 2021 on suspicion of kidnap but police confirmed on Monday there was no update in the case.

Mr Gosden wrote on his blog that he had "struggled with crippling anxiety and depression, to the extent that it is barely possible to function" since Andrew vanished.

The former speech therapist said a miniature oak tree he planted with Andrew when he was a child had now borne fruit, and thanked the charity Missing People, which also has a "tribute tree" for individuals who have vanished.

Andrew Gosden was last seen on CCTV at King's Cross station in London

Mr Gosden said: "There are too many inscribed leaves on this tree, too many loved ones missed each and every day.

"There are too many families left bewildered, wondering, searching, hoping and praying - longing for an answer, any answer, no matter how difficult that answer could be.

"As Andrew's oak tree bears the fruit of the acorn, we hope that awareness of his case bears the fruit that others are helped to find positive solutions in their lives and that other families are spared the pain that too many of us live with every day."

On the day of his disappearance Andrew withdrew just under £200 from his bank account at a cash machine. After pretending to go to school, he returned home, put his uniform in the washing machine and changed into black jeans and his favourite T-shirt.

Andrew has been described by his family - including mum Glenys and sister Charlotte - as a quiet and extremely clever boy who was a "home bird" and did not leave the house without telling anyone where he was going.

This digitally-aged image was released in 2019 to show what Andrew could have looked like in his mid-20s

His motive for travelling to the capital on the day he was last seen has never been established and Mr Gosden said in 2017: "Andrew apparently just disappeared off the face of the Earth and it's psychologically impossible to deal with."

The two men who were arrested had numerous devices seized in January 2022 and one was also arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children, South Yorkshire Police said.

In Monday's blog, Mr Gosden said: "As Andrew's oak tree bears the fruit of the acorn, we hope that awareness of his case bears the fruit that others are helped to find positive solutions in their lives and that other families are spared the pain that too many of us live with every day."