Video: Missing student Megan ‘likely to have fallen into river while drunk’

The 20-year-old from Wetherby has been missing since the early hours of Thursday after a night out with friends in York city centre.

North Yorkshire Police, who have been investigating her disappearance since Monday, now say the chances of her being found alive are “increasingly remote”.

In a statement read out today near the scene of her disappearance, Superintendent Phil Cain said Megan, a York St John University student, and others had been drinking for several hours before leaving Popworld night club around 2.10am on Thursday.

He said the group, who were “heavily affected by alcohol”, were spread out as they made their way from Popworld across Lendal Bridge to a nearby McDonalds.

Mr Cain said: “Having separated, part of the group ran down Tanners Moat, in front of The Maltings public house towards the river looking for the others.

“Megan through the effects of alcohol was the last in the group and bumped into some of the cycle racks as she followed others. CCTV evidence does NOT show Megan running back up the same street with the others to rejoin the main group.

“All members of the group concerned have been traced and spoken to at length by the police. There is nothing at this stage to indicate that any member of that group of friends or anybody else is directly responsible for Megan’s disappearance.”

The officer said police had investigated theories put out on social media websites, including that Megan had been targeted by a stalker, but evidence did not indicate her disappearance was due to criminal activity.

He added: “Consequently the strongest and most probable line of enquiry being pursued by police is that Megan, affected by alcohol, has entered the river. Clearly we will not be in a position to definitively to confirm this to be the case until Megan is found.”

The search for Megan, a fine art student, only began on Monday when family and friends realised she was missing.

Specialist teams have been brought in to search the bank of the River Ouse, after CCTV footage showed the student with a group of people on one side of the river but absent from the group on the other.

Police were searching the riverbank in the city centre and and an underwater search unit was deployed until darkness fell yesterday, before returning today.

Mr Cain said: “The possibility still exists that Megan is elsewhere safe and well, but realistically given the passage of time, such a possibility is increasingly remote.

“I emphasise that there is no evidence to indicate foul play of criminality and certainly NO evidence to link Megan’s disappearance to the Claudia Lawrence case.

“On balance, this presents as a group of young friends on a night out that is likely to have ended in tragedy.”

Anyone with information which can help officers should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and pass information to the Force Control Room.

The search for Megan is being supported by the Missing People charity, who have been handing out posters in the city centre and at York St John University.

Tonight and in the early hours of tomorrow, officers will hand out copies of the poster in the area where Megan was known to have been on the night she was last seen, to mark one week since her disappearance.