People joining in a desperate search for a 14-year-old boy, last seen more than a week ago, have been urged by police to stop flying drones as fears grow for the teenager.
Taylor Charlton was last seen near a Tesco supermarket in the Seven Brethren area of Barnstaple, in North Devon, on 8 May.
Specialist police teams from Devon and Cornwall Police, along with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, the RNLI and HM Coastguard are leading searches for the teenager, particularly around the River Taw.
Hundreds of people have also joined efforts to find Taylor, either by sharing messages and pictures on social media, or searching on the ground – however, the use of drones by some volunteers has raised concerns for authorities.
On Monday, Inspector Andy Wills said: “We would kindly ask members of the public not to fly drones in the area while this search is ongoing. Drone flights are prohibited in the vicinity of the ongoing emergency service incident until further notice. The use of drones in or near the location poses a significant risk to the safety of emergency personnel and could hinder the investigation.
“We know how much people want to help, if you are out looking, please take care and avoid putting yourself at risk, including entering unsafe buildings or going near the water.”
He added: “I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported the search so far and those who have already shared information with us.”
Taylor is a described as about 5ft 8ins tall, of muscular build, with dark brown hair and a moustache. He was last seen wearing a bright blue fitted top, jeans and bright blue Nike shoes.
At the weekend, the force said it was “keeping all avenues of enquiry open”, adding that one hypothesis was that Taylor may have entered the River Taw.
A pair of shoes, believed to belong to Taylor, were found near the river in the Tarka Trail area between Sticklepath and Bickington.
A Facebook group called “Find Taylor Charlton” has more than 8,000 members, and features the sharing of pictures of Taylor and locations that have been searched.
Anyone who sees Taylor, or knows of his whereabouts, is asked to call 999, quoting reference number 50260117084.
