Phillip Harris was just 15 when he left his home in St Eleanors Close, West Bromwich on the morning of 28 July 1999 to visit a friend in Northfield. Later that day he phoned his foster parents to say he would be staying overnight with a friend. He hasn’t been seen since.

In spite of media appeals, both in Birmingham and Manchester, where he had family links, there have been no confirmed sightings of him.

Earlier this year, detectives searched a property in St Paul’s Road, Smethwick which was linked to Phillip at the time. Sadly, after the three week-long search, nothing was found to help them discover what happened.

Officers from our unsolved missing persons team have now released two forensic artist images showing what Phillip might look like today, as a 38-year-old.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Padmore, from Locate said: “The investigation into Phillip’s whereabouts remains very much open.

“We have released these images, in the hope that someone may recognise him, or it will trigger a memory for someone to come forward with any information.

“Any information, no matter how small it may seem, may really help our investigation, so we urge anyone to contact us.

“Phillip’s family continue to miss him terribly and my team and I are committed to finding Phillip to solve the mystery of what has happened to him.

“Today, International Missing Children’s Day, is a reminder of all the young children that have gone missing and our continued efforts to get answers for their families, as well as raising awareness for child safety.”

Information can be given via Live Chat on our website at west-midlands.police.uk or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting PID33326.