Missing Doncaster teenager Andrew Gosden theories on painful anniversary

Yorkshire schoolboy Andrew Gosden was last seen on September 17 2007 at King's Cross Station in London after he had boarded a train from Doncaster.

He had bought a one-way ticket and has not been seen since. At the time of his disappearance, Andrew was only 14 years old and living in Balby, Doncaster.

His family are desperate for answers after 17 long years of not knowing whether their beloved son is alive or dead. Several theories have been put forward over the years on why he had decided to visit London and what might have happened to him, but despite many national appeals the reason for the trip, and what happened next, remain unknown.

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Andrew Gosden was described as a gifted student with a 100 per cent attendance record at McAuley Catholic High School in Cantley Lane, Doncaster. He was expected to score As in his GCSEs and was said to be a prize-winning maths wizard who may have been destined to go to a top university.

His family described Andrew as a 'home bird' who was quiet and very intelligent.

At the time of his disappearance, Andrew was just over a week into the new school year and it was reported that in the days leading up to his train trip to London, he had twice broken his routine by walking home the four-mile route rather than take the school bus.

Photos released by detectives show how Andrew might look now -Credit:BBC/Missing People
Photos released by detectives show how Andrew might look now -Credit:BBC/Missing People

On the morning of his disappearance, Andrew skipped school and took £200 from his account and went back home where he changed from his school uniform and put on a black Slipknot T-shirt and black jeans. He took his wallet, keys and a PlayStation Portable console, but not his passport.

At 8.30am he left the house and walked to Doncaster railway station, where he bought a one-way ticket to London. And at 9.35am he was seen boarding a train to King's Cross.

Andrew arrived at King's Cross at 11.20am and was caught on CCTV leaving the entrance five minutes later this was the final confirmed sighting of him.

A number of theories have subsequently been put forward about why Andrew had gone to London. One possibility put forward is that he had gone to the capital to meet someone he had met on the internet, although there was no evidence.

This CCTV image from London Kings Cross is the last sighting of Andrew
This CCTV image from London Kings Cross is the last sighting of Andrew -Credit:BBC

Another theory put forward by Andrew's family is that he had gone sightseeing as he was known to have enjoyed trips to London in the past and had family and friends who lived there.

The possibility that he had gone to a music concert was also considered but again it was reported that there was no evidence he had attended any events or gigs that had taken place around that time.

In September 2009, Andrew's father Kevin told the The Mirror that he believed the trip was a spur-of-the-moment idea, saying: "Did he decide to do the Reginald Perrin thing, and reinvent himself? Or was there something troubling him that he felt he couldn't tell us? In my heart, I still think his disappearance was a spur-of-the-moment thing."

Kevin also wondered if Andrew had gone to London to visit the British Museum. Over the years Kevin and his wife Glenys have played out every possibility of what might have happened.

Kevin Gosden beside a portrait of his son Andrew who went missing in 2007 aged 14 -Credit:Paul David Drabble
Kevin Gosden beside a portrait of his son Andrew who went missing in 2007 aged 14 -Credit:Paul David Drabble

Last year, Kevin told the Mirror: "I've had nightmares for years now. Your brain goes through a lot of scenarios, most of them very unpleasant. It has not got any easier at all - it's harder the more time that elapses the further away you get from any real clue or answer."

He added: "They did all the computer forensics stuff. Here, school, in the local public library where he went fairly regularly. They couldn't find that he'd even created an email address or anything."

The family also revealed another theory that Andrew might have been going down to London to look for work experience as his older sister, Charlotte, had done so two years earlier when she was 14. She had handed out CVs to banks in The Strand.

Kevin has chronicled his own feelings of anxiety and depression in a blog called Help Us Find Andrew. In July, to mark his son's 31st birthday, Kevin wrote about how Andrew's disappearance had left a huge hole in the family.

He recalled family life before Andrew went missing and a day when they went to book a family holiday with a travel agent who had mentioned hotels with kids clubs. He said Glenys said a kids club wasn't necessary, saying: "It's OK, we like our children."

Kevin wrote: "That is why Andrew’s disappearance created such a huge hole in our family. We ate together, talked together, played and rested together like any family, so his not being here with us now is an absence that we continue to feel every day."

Andrew Gosden -Credit:South Yorkshire Police/PA Wire
Andrew Gosden -Credit:South Yorkshire Police/PA Wire

He praised the presence in their lives of Missing People, saying the charity never forgets Andrew's birthday nor the day he went missing. "They are always there for us on the end of a phone," he posted on the blog.

"When we meet, for example at a Christmas Together to Remember event, it is like meeting with family; there are hugs and smiles because we haven’t seen one another in a while and so much care and support for one another. They are the best family in our difficult and seemingly never-ending situation."

Kevin said Missing People supported many families in so many ways. He is an ambassador for the charity.

In September last year, two men arrested by officers investigating Andrew's disappearance were released by police. At the time, a senior detective said he was "confident the two men arrested played no part in Andrew's disappearance". Anyone with information about the case, can phone police on 101 or contact Missing People on 116 000.

Age-progression photos have previously been issued showing how Andrew might look as a grown man. Andrew has an unusual and distinctive right ear, which has been highlighted as a distinguishing feature. Police said Andrew used to speak quickly and quietly, without a strong accent, which is unlikely to have changed.

You can also speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.