Steven Clark went missing three days after Christmas in 1992 with reports claiming he had been on a family walk when he walked into gents’ public toilets near the promenade in Saltburn, Cleveland, while his mother went to the ladies’.

Reports at the time claimed his mother assumed her son had gone home when she exited the toilets and could not find him.

The 23-year-old walked with a visible limp due to a childhood road accident and worked at a charity supporting young people with disabilities getting skills needed for employment.

Cleveland Police recently re-opened the case, with Mr Clark's parents Doris and Charles Clark arrested on suspicion of murder.

Searches were also carried out at their home in Marske, near Saltburn, where Steven Clark also lived.

Since re-opening the case, the force has now said a new witness has come forward placing Mr Clark in Marske in the late afternoon of the day he went missing.

The force said the potential witness was out with her family and reported that he passed them as they were walking on the High Street towards Marske square.

The man, believed to be Steven Clark, was walking in the opposite direction towards The Ship Inn, and it had not yet got dark.

The force said the woman saw the 1992 appeal for information about Steven’s whereabouts, and confirmed with her family that it was the missing 23-year-old who they had seen, but she did not think it was relevant to the case at that time.

Detective Chief Inspector Shaun Page said: “This is an important development for us because we know that it got dark that day at around 3.45pm and this potential sighting puts Steven in Marske before that time.

“We have carried out a number of searches in the Marske area and these will be continuing.

“A lot of people knew Steven and I would again appeal for people to come forward with any information, no matter how small or insignificant they think it is.

“I would like to hear from anyone who saw Steven on Christmas bank holiday weekend in 1992, which was Friday December 24 to Monday December 27.”

Anyone with information should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Last week the force appealed for an anonymous letter writer who contacted the force in 1999 about the case to come forward.

Mrs Clark last week denied the couple murdered their son, saying the situation was “absolutely ludicrous”.

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Witness provides "significant" new evidence in 28-year case of missing Steven Clarke who is now thought to have been murdered