DETECTIVES are launching a fresh appeal for information about the disappearance of 30-year-old club bouncer Jimmy Harmon—10 years after he vanished from East London. Scotland Yard now fear he may have been murdered back in 1998, but have never found his body. Jimmy was last seen about 3pm on January 24 that year, visiting his girlfriend in Romford. He never returned and has not been seen in the 10 years since. It is now presumed he is dead

Mike Brooke

DETECTIVES are launching a fresh appeal for information about the disappearance of 30-year-old club bouncer Jimmy Harmon-10 years after he vanished from East London.

Scotland Yard now fear he may have been murdered back in 1998, but have never found his body. Jimmy was last seen about 3pm on January 24 that year, visiting his girlfriend in Romford.

He failed to return later that evening. Friends and family went looking for him and reported him missing two days later.

A missing person enquiry began by police at Dagenham, where he lived, and was passed 10 months later in November, 1998, to what is now the Homicide & Serious Crime Command.

An extensive investigation was unable to establish his whereabouts.

His body has never been recovered and it is now presumed he is dead.

But the case was dusted down from the archives recently and looked at again.

It lead East London detectives to arrest a 45-year-old in Dagenham on Tuesday (July 8) on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice... and being involved in Jimmy Harmon's murder.

The suspect was taken to an East London police station, but subsequently bailed to return in September.

Det Chief Ins Ian Stevenson, from the Homicide & Serious Crime Command, said: "There are strong grounds for believing Jimmy Harmon was murdered very soon after his disappearance in 1998.

"So I would appeal for anyone with new information to come forward and speak to us in confidence."

The fresh investigation a decade after Jimmy Harmon's disappearance has focussed on his lifestyle.

He was well known in 1998 as a doorman at a number of East London nightclubs and pubs.

Jimmy was living at Maxey-road in Dagenham when he vanished, last seen in the Mawney area of Romford where his girlfriend had a house.

He was in his girlfriend's house a short while when he received a call on his mobile phone, then left suddenly, saying he had to see a friend in Rainham and would return at 8pm.

But Jimmy never returned and has not been seen in the 10 years since.

He was described as white, 5ft 7ins tall and stocky, who had short cropped brown hair at the time.

He was last seen wearing a blue 'Budweiser' T-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

Jimmy worked as a mechanic and fitter by day while also a part-time as a doorman in the evenings at Dagenham's Robin Hood pub in Longbridge-road.

He drove a distinctive silver Mercedes 190E saloon with lowered suspension and loud music system. The car was found abandoned in Bexley-gardens, off Barley-lane, near King George's Hospital in Goodmayes.

Police think the car had been there since the day Jimmy went missing.

Scotland Yard is appealing for anyone with information to call the incident room on 020-8345 1570, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111.