Parents of missing Dean sell their home

Dean Patton, whose 25th birthday was last Tuesday, was last seen on the afternoon of July 24 and despite extensive land and sea searches his loved ones have no idea where he is.

Family and friends have not spoken to him since he attended a party in his hometown of Portrush the previous evening.

Unable to bear the constant reminders of their son’s disappearance, Dean’s parents John and Linda have sold their home of over 20 years.

They plan to use the money from the sale of the property to fund further searches in the coming months.

They have already offered a £10,000 reward for anyone with information on Dean’s whereabouts, which expires at the end of this month.

Dean’s uncle Gerry Patton said the family is desperate to discover what has happened to him.

“There hasn’t been a thing,” he said. “His mum and dad have put up the reward and there has been nothing so far in terms of information.”

He added: “The last six months have been hard.

“John and Linda didn’t want anyone to ring them at Christmas or the new year.

“They are just devastated, but they are still hoping.”

In a first for Northern Ireland, special drones were brought in to help scour the area’s coastline in the weeks after Dean went missing, but they failed to offer any clues.

“If Dean doesn’t want to come home that’s fine,” said Mrs Patton.

“All we want to know is that he is safe and keeping well.”

She said her family is dealing with the daily nightmare of not knowing where Dean is.

Mrs Patton also praised residents in Portrush for helping with searches since Dean went missing.

HAVE YOU SEEN DEAN?

Dean was last seen on July 24. Despite extensive searches and a £10,000 reward for information, his whereabouts remain a mystery. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans and is 6ft tall with dark hair and a tanned complexion. The last sighting was on CCTV when he was captured entering the Nisa store in Portrush. His family have described him as vulnerable.