Robert Hutchinson 'murder': CCTV appeal five years' on

Robert Hutchinson is believed to have been murdered but no body has been found

Detectives investigating the suspected murder of a Sunderland man have launched a fresh appeal for information five years after he disappeared.

Robert Hutchinson, 56, was last seen leaving his home in the city's Hendon area on the evening of 23 June 2014.

It is believed he was murdered, but his body has never been found.

Police have now released CCTV images of people on Chester Road, near where his car was found abandoned, and said they could help with the inquiry.

Police said the individuals seen on Chester Road on the night of 23 June 2014 could be key to the investigation

Det Ed Small, from Northumbria Police, described the investigation as "very much ongoing".

He said the individuals in the CCTV "could prove the key to finding out what happened to him that night".

He added: "Robert's family have spent the last five years not knowing what happened to him.

"Not having the answers only prolongs their grief and prevents them from having any opportunity to seek closure."

Mr Hutchinson was captured on CCTV at the Asda petrol station shortly before he went missing

Three men had been arrested but no charges were ever brought.