A boy whose stepbrother disappeared a fortnight ago from outside a York nightclub is hoping against hope he is still alive.

Tom Sixsmith, 12, says he has a 'gut feeling' that his big brother, Neil Langthorne, 26, who was last seen on Wednesday, October 28, is still alive.

But mum Jackie Sixsmith and detectives dealing with the case now fear Neil, of the Corn Mills, Railway Street, Malton, is dead.

Jackie, of Hoxton Road, Scarborough, said: "The little one wants to go to York on Saturday to look for him. He says Neil is stranded in York and he's coming home. That's all he will say.

"Everybody is trying to get something out of him, but he just won't talk about it to me, his dad or the police.

"He was so upset at the weekend, he made himself ill.

" I keep trying to prepare him for the worst, but it is so difficult."

Tom, a pupil at Graham School, Scarborough, last saw Neil on the morning that he disappeared.

He said: "It does worry me quite a bit. If he reads this I'd like him to get some money and ring us up and we will come through to York and get him."

Detective Sergeant Ian Fieldsend of Malton police said: "Due to the passage of time, the likelihood of Neil being alive diminishes. We fear he may be dead.

"I am keeping an open mind. If he is alive, I hope he will see the coverage we are giving him and I hope he will get in touch.

"But it is two weeks now since he was last seen and we have not heard anything."

Neil has not been seen since he went missing while on a pub crawl with his friend Mark 'Rob' Roberts on Wednesday, October 28.

Detectives say Rob has recently remembered more details which may help them to piece together Neil's last movements.

Det Sgt Fieldsend said Rob, who originally thought Neil went missing while they were standing outside Toffs in Toft Green, now thinks he was last with him outside the Gallery in Clifford Street.

Bouncers remember turning them away between 11.30pm and 12.30am because Rob was wearing white trainers.

Rob said that when he turned round, Neil had gone.

Rob then waited at St Saviourgate taxi rank, the planned meeting point if they lost each other.

"By 1.30am he decided he had had enough and got himself home in a taxi back to Malton," said Det Sgt Fieldsend.

"We want to trace the taxi driver who drove to Malton with this man in his car so we can speak to him.

"He will remember running out to Malton at 1.30 in the morning.

"We also want to hear from any clubbers who remember seeing Neil and Rob queuing for the Gallery."

Anyone with any information should telephone Malton police station on 01653 692424.

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