Matthew Chapman, 24, has been missing for nearly a month, after he failed to pick up his brother-in-law to take him to work on April 30. Now, his abandoned van has been found near a popular Spanish resort 60 miles north of Barcelona.
According to local news outlet El Caso, investigators have said Chapman, from Doncaster, had travelled to France on May 1 via the Eurotunnel and spent some time in Portugal and Spain. His mobile phone signal then disappeared near Tossa de Mar. There has been speculation that Chapman, who has been running a car valet business for six years, may have run into financial difficulties, however, his parents do not believe this to be the case.
“We thought he was sleeping in his van, so that’s caused more angst,” Matthew’s mother, Jane Chapman, told The Times. “We were in the hope that he was just touring Europe and that when he ran out of money he’d be a bit sheepish and get back in touch with his tail between his legs. That’s what we were hoping for.”
Andrew Chapman, the 24-year-old’s father, said that his disappearance was not planned “because he had people booked in” for the valet service. “I just don’t understand it,” his mother added.
She said her son had given “no indication” that anything was wrong prior to his disappearance: “He’s never been in trouble, he’s always had a positive outlook on things. Even if he didn’t feel he could come to us with any of his troubles, there were so many other people he could have reached out to.
“We’ve had so many of his customers either directly or indirectly get in contact saying they are concerned about him. He’s a likeable lad, he’s very polite. Even within this little estate, the older ladies treat him like a surrogate grandson — that’s how he’s always been.
Jane remains hopeful that her son will make contact: “But it gets harder to say, ‘I need help’, the longer things go on”.
The Mossos d’Esquadra regional police force confirmed that a two-day search had been carried out. A spokeswoman said: “It was a land, sea and air search, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The investigation into the missing man’s whereabouts is continuing.”
