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Mother's Plea: 'We're in Hell' Over Missing Son
19 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Teenager Tom Dingle has been missing for six days.
- His mother described the pain of not knowing his whereabouts as 'like we're in hell'.
- Tom was last seen on CCTV heading towards the Boathouse pub in Appley Bridge.
The mother of a missing teenager has shared her profound distress, describing the six days without her son, 19-year-old Tom Dingle, as being "in hell." Tom, a student at Lancaster University, was last captured on CCTV on Mill Lane in Appley Bridge in the early hours of Saturday, heading towards the Boathouse pub. His mother, Susan Dingle, revealed that Tom was in a "vulnerable state of mind" following a recent bereavement.
Speaking at an emotional press conference, Ms. Dingle pleaded for her son's safe return, assuring him that he is not in trouble. The family received a concerning message from Tom before he disappeared, and despite searching, he had gone in a different direction. They have since seen CCTV footage they believe shows him walking down Mill Lane, dressed in a black Vans hoodie, black jeans, and black Doc Martin shoes, carrying a backpack.
Lancashire Police are continuing their inquiries and have appealed for any information, particularly from those with CCTV or dashcam footage from the Stonemill Rise and Appley Lane North area around 00:30 on Saturday. The family's anguish is palpable as they urge Tom to come home, emphasizing their deep love and desperate need for his return.
