The heartbroken father of Taylor Charlton, a missing 15-year-old from Barnstaple, has issued a deeply emotional birthday plea as the search enters its third week. Taylor was last seen on 8 May near the Tesco Extra car park on Station Road at around 10:30 pm before CCTV showed him heading towards the River Taw. Devon and Cornwall Police continue a large-scale search involving divers, drones, sonar, specialist dogs, and a helicopter amid fears he may have entered the water.
Father’s Emotional Birthday Message
On Tuesday, Taylor’s 15th birthday, dad Alex Charlton posted a heartfelt message on Facebook begging his son to come home. He wrote: “Happy birthday, Taylor. Come back home or call us or something, we will find you. Regardless what we’ve been through, we can fix it. Love you so much xxx miss you come back, dude.” Earlier, Alex expressed feeling “broken and lost” without Taylor, pledging never to stop searching.
Intensive Police Searches Ongoing
Devon and Cornwall Police have been using divers, drones, a sonar-equipped boat, specialist search dogs, and a police helicopter to scour the river and estuary areas near where Taylor was last spotted. Investigation teams are following all leads while remaining committed to the active and extensive operation.
Vital Clues Discovered
Two pairs of shoes believed to belong to Taylor were found on 13 and 14 May along the high tide line between Sticklepath and Bickington, nearly 500 metres apart. These findings support police concerns that Taylor may have entered the water, though all lines of inquiry remain open.
Community Support And Police Appeal
Sector Inspector Andy Wills acknowledged the distress caused to Taylor’s family and the local community, stating: “We fully understand how difficult and upsetting this continues to be for Taylor’s family, friends, and the wider community. Our thoughts remain firmly with them.” Police urge anyone with urgent information to call 999 quoting reference 50260117084, or contact 101 for non-urgent reports.
Missing Person Description
Taylor Charlton is white, approximately 5ft 8ins tall, with dark brown hair and a moustache. He may have been wearing a bright blue fitted top, jeans, and bright blue Nike trainers when last seen.
