Twenty years on from her disappearance, Charlene Downes’ parents have made a renewed plea for information.
On November 1, 2003, 14-year-old Charlene Downes spent the day in her hometown of Blackpool.
CCTV places her close to the seafront at around half past three, walking with her sister, Rebecca.
Not long after 6pm, the sisters were seen by their mother – Karen – who was working on Church Street.
Charlene Downes and her sister Rebecca were seen walking together on CCTV footage
They had a brief conversation – Rebecca told their mum that she was heading home, whilst Charlene said she was going to meet some friends. The 14-year-old made a quick call from a phone box, and then, when her friend arrived, the pair walked in the direction of the seafront.
Recalling this moment, Karen Downes said: “I said, ‘don’t you be late home’, and she said, ‘I won’t, I’ll be home before 10’… next thing I remember they walked down in the direction of The Winter Gardens, and that was the last time I ever saw her. I never saw her after that.”
Over the years, Lancashire Police have pieced together a timeline, which places Charlene and her friend at the Carousel Bar on the pier later that night.
They then believe that the pair walked back towards an alleyway in the town, where at around half past 10, Charlene is left alone. That is the last known sighting of the 14-year-old.
Charlene Downes at the Carousel Bar
It has now been two decades since she first went missing, but her parents still believe that someone out there could have some answers which would explain what happened to their daughter.
Karen Downes said: “We’ll always have hope – hope is all we have left.”
Charlene’s father, Bob Downes, also made a plea for anyone with information to come forward, adding: “Someone out there has got the answer.
"They’ve grown up the last 20 years – don’t be scared.”
Charlene Downes has been missing for 20 years now
Today, on the 20th anniversary of Charlene’s disappearance, Lancashire Constabulary are making a fresh appeal for information.
Detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables told GB News that, although “there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that she is still alive”, they still want to provide justice for her family.
She added: “I’m appealing to those people who know what happened to Charlene, and for whatever reason over the last 20 years have not come forward and told us what happened and who’s responsible for her disappearance… because Charlene’s family have spent 20 years not knowing; agonising over what happened to her.”
A reward of £100,000 remains in place 20 years on – the largest in the history of Lancashire Constabulary – for any information that leads to this case being solved and brings some closure for the family of Charlene Downes.
