The mum of missing Jamie Cannon has said she feels 'broken' on the first Christmas without her son since his disappearance.
Jamie, 19, left his home in Saltcoats to head to college on Thursday, May 20 this year.
CCTV captured the teen walking through Kerr Avenue in the town at around 10.26am and a further sighting of him was reported on Auchenharvie Golf Course in nearby Stevenston at around 10.40am that same day.
But despite extensive searches from both cops and Jamie's family and friends, no trace of him has been found.
His bank account has not been used and his mobile phone is switched off.
His heartbroken mum, Lynn Cannon, told the Daily Record how she is still holding out hope that her teenage son is alive.
She said: "I feel like Jamie is out there alive somewhere. My gut feeling, or 'mother's instinct', whatever you want to call it, is telling me he is alive and has just taken himself away for a while.
"It might sound daft but it's a feeling I have."
In the days before Christmas, the desperate mum-of-three made an eleventh-hour appeal begging her son to 'please come home for Christmas'.
But with still no sign of Jamie on Christmas Eve, Lynn shared an emotional message as she faced the next day without him.
She said: "Day 217...These last seven months have been so hard on us as a family not knowing where Jamie is.
"My heart aches like no-one knows I put on a brave face everyday for Jamie's wee brothers family and friends plus the whole community.
"My heart is broken without my son not being here with us we are trying to prepare for our first Christmas with my son still missing, seven months of not hearing his voice seeing his beautiful smile and just not being around is absolute torture for us.
"Every day I hope and ask if anyone knows something no matter how big or small if it helps find Jamie that would end this nightmare and bring Jamie home to his family."
Lynn added that she would be taking a break from social media over the next few days as she tries to 'get through Christmas'.
She continued: "I would like to thank everyone who has shared, commented, messaged and mailed regarding my posts I do daily has meant so much to know there is support for me to still to this day try and help find Jamie.
"I will not over the next days be putting out a daily post we are taking some time away from social media to come try and get through this Christmas."
Lynn previously united in their grief with Stephanie Bonner, whose 19-year-old son Rhys died in 'unexplained' circumstances after he went missing for 15 days from his home in Barlanark on July 24, 2019.
Stephanie, 38, reached out to Lynn, 49, as she prepared to mark her third Christmas without Rhys.
