The detective leading the investigation into the disappearance of Denise Jarvis from Kingswood has made a renewed appeal for information on Channel 5’s Vanished: The Hunt for Britain’s Missing, which also features interviews with her family.
Denise, 44, has been missing for more than eight months and Avon & Somerset Police continue to appeal for the public’s help.
Senior Investigating Officer Det Insp Ben Lavender was in the studio for the live Channel 5 programme, presented by Dan Walker, which was broadcast last night.
It’s available to watch again here.
Denise’s mother Bernadette and sister Rachel also made heartfelt appeals, with her mum saying: “She’s not another person missing, she’s our daughter, she’s Rachel’s sister – she is loved. If somebody has seen her, we want her back, because we love her.”
Denise was last seen on the evening of Wednesday 3 August in the area of Southey Park. That remains the last confirmed sighting of her.
Newly released CCTV images of Denise, recorded on the day before she went missing, shows the coat she was wearing when she was last seen in the park – a grey, thigh-length sleeveless coat.
A thorough investigation has seen officers complete more than 700 actions and speak to more than 90 of Denise’s contacts in the hope of finding her.
Extensive searches of the area where she was last seen have also been carried out, as well as other intelligence and POLSA-led searches, some of which have involved the use of police divers while CCTV from the area has also been reviewed.
Denise Jarvis
Police say they have been unable to locate any CCTV footage of her following the last confirmed sighting.
DI Lavender said on the programme: “While we’re carrying out land searches, specialist searches and with our dive team, we are preparing for the worst but really still hoping for the best, and we hope that this will come to a positive outcome for her family.”
On the CCTV showing Denise wearing the coat she was last seen in, he said: “It’s quite a distinctive coat…while clearly time has moved on, and she’s unlikely to be wearing the same clothes now, if anyone has seen that coat discarded or if she’s still wearing it, that will jog some memories.”
Speaking after the programme, he added: “We’re committed to getting the answers Denise’s family so desperately need and we’ll leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find out what happened to her.
“This will include continuing enquiries around her phone and communications data, as well as past financial transactions, and we’ll continue to speak with all known relatives, friends and associates of Denise.”
Denise has links to Hambrook as well as Kingswood. If you know where she is or have seen or spoken with her since Wednesday 3rd August, call 999 quoting reference 5222186376, or call 101 with any other information.
Avon & Somerset Police have also set up an online portal featuring the appeal, which will allow people to send information direct to officers working on this investigation.
You can access the portal here.
