Hampshire Constabulary to assist Parkes inquest

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said its officers are working with the Gibraltar authorities on the inquest into the disappearance of sailor Simon Parkes.

Earlier this week GBC revealed that the Coroner, Charles Bonfante, had opened an inquest into the case of Royal Navy sailor Simon Parkes, who was last seen in Gibraltar over 37 years ago.

Simon disappeared in 1986 after a night out in Gibraltar, where the ship he was serving on HMS Illustrious was docked.

His body has never been found but his parents, Margaret and David, are hopeful an inquest will provide them with some closure after so many years.

“We are working with the Gibraltarian authorities around the issue of Mr Parkes’ inquest,” Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Adam Edwards, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, told the Chronicle.

“We fully understand the significance of this to his family.”

“There is an active and ongoing investigation into the circumstances of Mr Parkes' disappearance and we are continuing to explore all reasonable lines of enquiry presented to us as part of this investigation.”

“With this in mind we are unable to make any further comment."

The inquest into Simon’s disappearance follows decades of police searches across Gibraltar, from the Upper Rock, South Barracks, Trafalgar Cemetery and most recently Town Range.

There have been renewed investigations into the cold case but, so far, the searches have not led to new information to aid the investigation.

Simon was last seen leaving the Horseshoe Bar in Main Street on December 12, 1986 and he never made it back onboard HMS Illustrious.

Contemporary reports in the Chronicle following the disappearance described Simon as being of slight build, 5’8 tall with a West Country accent.

He was last seen wearing faded blue jeans, a pale grey T-shirt, and a long sleeved blue and grey crew neck jumper with a diamond pattern.

His distinguishing feature was a tattoo on his right arm of a black horse’s head with the name Simon through it.