Charley Gadd: Police search river for student who ‘ran off’ during family night out

Father of 20-year-old, who is not familiar with Manchester, fears he may have got lost

Police are searching for student Charley Gadd, 20, who disappeared during a family night out in Manchester (Family handout/Greater Manchester Police)

Police have been searching a river in Salford after a student went missing during a family night out.

Divers were pictured on a boat on the River Irwell on Thursday while one member carried out an underwater search.

Charlie Gadd, 20, had been enjoying a night out with his family in central Manchester when he reportedly “ran off” near St Mary’s Gate at about 1.10am on Saturday.

He was last spotted on CCTV a few minutes later outside the Royal Exchange Theatre heading towards St Anne’s Street but hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

Police said the University of Essex student, who is not familiar with Manchester, had been at the Warehouse Project earlier in the evening. Mr Gadd’s family spent hours looking for him before reporting him missing.

He is described as a white male of skinny build, 5ft 9ins tall, with mousy brown hair and was wearing a red jacket and blue jeans.

Mr Gadd’s father, Jolyon Gadd, said: “We were out with Charley on Friday night and Saturday morning on the 11 December and had a lovely time together.

“We were near the Spar Store in St Mary’s Gate at around 1.10am when Charley ran off. We spent many hours then and later in the early hours looking for him before reporting him missing to the police around 11am.

CCTV captured missing student Charley Gadd outside the Royal Exchange Theatre heading towards St Anne’s Street in Manchester city centre just before 1.15am on 11 December (CCTV/Greater Manchester Police)

“Charley is not familiar with Manchester and may have got lost and not been able to find his way back to his hotel.

“Charley is a very bright, warm, funny and loving man who everybody hugely enjoys being around.

“He is in the second year of a film and media degree course at the University of Essex in Colchester where he is well liked and flat shares with friends.

“We have heard nothing from him since he ran off and my wife and I and his brothers Bruno and Rufus are desperate for any news of him. We are obviously extremely worried.

Police are searching for student Charley Gadd, 20, who disappeared during a family night out in Manchester (Family handout/Greater Manchester Police)

“As we do not live in the area, we would ask local people and businesses to help us by looking in outbuilding, vehicles, bins, and anywhere else that Charley may have taken shelter to keep warm on Saturday morning.

“We really appreciate all the support and kind comments given by local people on social media, and ask that you please keep this in the public eye locally until we find Charley.

“However, we would ask that our privacy also please be respected at this time.”

Anyone with information about Mr Gadd’s whereabouts is asked to contact police by calling 101 or online at www.gmp.police.uk quoting log 149 of 12/12/2021.