POLICE in Canada have announced another breakthrough into the disappearance of a York man who disappeared 33 years ago.

Dennis Crook was living in Victoria, British Columbia, when he was reported missing in October 1985, and local police recently appealed to North Yorkshire’s force for help finding his sister Lillian, who they believe lived in Holgate.

While Lillian has not yet been found, another sister - who had not seen Mr Crook for 41 years, and who police did not know existed - contacted Victoria PD after reading about the appeal in The Press.

On Friday, investigators revealed the first photo they have been able to find of Mr Crook - taken the year he went missing - and new details about his life.

Mr Crook's sister is providing a sample of DNA to police, and the force said this, along with the photograph and information about his sailboat - the Beverley Ann - "will greatly assist our investigation".

Mr Crook would now be 68 years old, and Detective Chantal Ziegler and missing person investigators thanked "members of the York community, including the news media, North Yorkshire Police, UK Crime Stoppers, those who are sharing our search information on social media, the University of Nottingham Alumni Association", for their assistance in bringing forward new information.

A spokeswoman said: "Your efforts are what has progressed our investigation to date.

"Investigators continue to search for Dennis Crook. Dennis was first reported missing on Tuesday, October 22nd, 1985. He had last been seen on October 16th of that year and was reported missing by friends. Dennis, now 68 years old, is described as a Caucasian man five feet, nine inches tall with a medium to large build. He had medium length, dark brown hair and a thick moustache and brown eyes. He was 35-years old when he was reported missing."

As exclusively reported in The Press, Mr Crook was born in Moor Monkton, studied at Archbishop Holgate’s School until 1968, and had enjoyed travelling, spending time in the US before he moved to Canada. He was last known to have been in England in 1971, when his family lived in Holgate.

The investigation also found Mr Crook had a sailboat moored at Oak Bay Marina, British Columbia, for several years. The boat was a white and blue 18-foot 1974 Davidson Crown named Beverly Ann.

Anyone with information which could help detectives find Mr Crook, members of his family or his boat Beverly Ann, should email Chantal.Ziegler@vicpd.ca