Three people arrested on suspicion of murder after man went missing in 2002

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder more than 20 years after Robert Scott Clive went missing in north-east England, Northumbria Police said.

Mr Clive, 30, originally from Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, was living in North Shields when he vanished on the night of October 10 2002.

The disappearance of Mr Clive, who was known as Scott, prompted police to launch a murder investigation but his body was never found.

Northumbria Police said on Saturday that “new information” led them to arrest three people: two men aged in their 40s and 50s, and a woman aged in her 40s; who remain in police custody.

An address in the Coronation Street area of North Shields, which Mr Clive is known to have visited on the night he went missing, is also being searched, the force added.

The current occupant of the search property, who moved in after 2002, has been put in alternative accommodation while police carry out their inquiries, the force said.

Mr Clive was last seen alive in the Coronation Street area shortly after 11pm on October 10 2002.

Unconfirmed sightings in the early hours of the following morning also placed a man matching Mr Clive’s description near the banks of the River Tyne.

Detective Inspector Mark Atherton, who is leading on the case, said: “We are doing everything we can to provide Scott’s family with the answers they deserve.

“Upon receiving new information, we have taken the decision to arrest two men and a woman in relation to Scott’s disappearance.

“They remain in custody while our inquiries are ongoing.

“However, we still believe there could be key information that people know in the local community.

“I am again urging anybody who lived on Coronation Street at the time of his disappearance, or has information about Scott’s movements that night, to come forward.

“The information you have could prove key in our investigations.”

Police said they have reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and spoken to various witnesses since they launched their investigation more than 20 years ago.

Officers have set-up a dedicated webpage for people to be able to share information. People can get in touch online at the following link: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/10NP020310B52-PO1

Potential witnesses are asked to get in touch with Northumbria Police by phone or through social media, quoting case reference number NP-20240703-0398.

Published: 22/02/2025 by Radio NewsHub