Police renew search for Claire Holland nine years after she went missing

Police officers have been searching Castle Park as part of a major new operation in connection with the disappearance of a woman in 2012.

Claire Holland was reported missing by her family on Thursday, June 14 2012 and was last seen at Seamus O’Donnell’s pub in St Nicholas Street, Bristol, on the evening of Wednesday, June 6 2012, just after the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend.

Police say they are treating the disappearance of the 32-year-old from Lawrence Weston as suspicious and have launched a “significant operation” along with a renewed appeal for information.

Officers scoured the underground spaces beneath Castle Park on Tuesday and are set to conduct further targeted searches in the city over the coming days.

The force has also released CCTV footage showing Claire’s last known movements and is appealing for anyone who might have new information to come forward.

A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of her murder in 2019. The man, who is now 39, remains released under investigation.

Senior investigating officer detective inspector Darren Hannant said: “We’d like the public to cast their mind back to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend, which was on the weekend of 2-5 June in 2012. Claire went missing the day after this significant national event.

“CCTV shows Claire walking along Baldwin Street heading towards the Seamus O’Donnell’s pub at around 9.30pm on Wednesday 6 June, but we don’t have any footage showing where she went afterwards. Staff have confirmed she did leave the pub later that evening just after closing time, around 11.15pm. It is possible she headed in the direction of the fountains, near the harbourside, but we don’t have any footage of her doing so, despite extensive reviews of more than 1,000 hours of available CCTV.

“We’re carrying out a number of intelligence-led searches in the Bristol area today and over the coming days, with some involving the specialist dive team, starting in parts of the city centre and moving to other areas through the week.

“At this time, we’re treating Claire’s disappearance as suspicious. Claire had no known reason to go missing of her own accord and had made plans for the week following her disappearance.”

Police are asking members of the public if they can provide information on any of the following:

• Were you in the Seamus O’Donnell’s pub on the night Claire was last seen – Wednesday, June 6 2012? Police would like to identify everyone who spoke to Claire on the day she disappeared.
• Were you a friend or acquaintance of Claire? If you didn’t speak to police when she went missing, or since, now is the time. Police want to know as much as possible about what Claire was doing in the days and weeks leading up to her disappearance.
• Has someone told you information about this case that may have sounded unusual or suspicious? Has anyone confided in you about what may have happened to Claire? Police are urging people to come forward.
• If you were a friend of Claire on Facebook in 2012, police will be sending you a message via social media. They are asking people to read the message and call them if you have any information which would assist.
• The force is also asking people to watch the CCTV footage. Anyone who saw a woman matching Claire’s description heading into Bristol city centre from the direction of St Nicholas Street after 11pm, or elsewhere in Bristol on the same evening, is asked to get in touch.

Claire is described as white, 5ft tall, of slim build, with shoulder-length brown hair that was sometimes tied back in a ponytail.

If you can help, please call police on 101 and give the reference number 5219172645. People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their Anonymous Online Form.

Police scoured areas underneath Castle Park on Tuesday as part of the renewed search for Claire Holland – photo by Ellie Pipe

Main photo courtesy of Avon & Somerset Police

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