Search for Devon teen enters 12th day

Efforts stepped up

Friends of a Devon teenage boy who went missing nearly a fortnight ago are continuing their search. 

A major operation to find 14-year-old Taylor Charlton is entering its 12th day and community groups are joining efforts.

Taylor was last seen heading towards the River Tor in the Severn Brethren area of North Devon around X on Friday 8th May. 

Officers say there will be further activity on and by the water over the coming days. 

Police drones and divers are mainly focusing on the waterway after shoes, believed to have belonged to Taylor, were found nearby. 

Detectives have also trawled through hours of CCTV and knocked on doors in the surrounding area as part of their inquiries. 

Suspect Inspector Andy Wills says, "all avenues of inquiry remain open. There is a hypothesis that Taylor may have entered the water, as shoes believed to belong to him were found on two consecutive days at high tide on the riverbank. It's a challenging location with a significant movement of water on each side."

"We're extremely grateful for the public's response to our appeals so far and we still urge anyone with information to contact us."

Anyone who has relevant information can phone police on 999, quoting reference number 50260117084. 

Officers are also reminding people not to speculate about the case on social media or share unconfirmed information.