“My family never thought anything like this would happen to us; these are things you see on TV or read in newspapers”

Allan Bryant has been missing from Glenrothes, Fife since 3rd November 2013. His father Allan Bryant Snr has written the following piece recounting the experience of a family affected by missing.

The year 2013 started off just like every year for my family. We were just getting on with our lives as normal. 

This all changed on the 2nd of November 2013 when our son Allan went out to an engagement party with some friends. We never thought for a second this would be the last time we would ever see our son Allan again leaving our home in such a happy mood that evening. 

My son Allan was only 23 years old. Later on that night Allan and his friends ended up going to a local nightclub. The last sighting of our son Allan was on the nightclub’s CCTV at 2:02am Sunday morning on the 3rd of November 2013. The nightclub is only 0.7 miles away from our home. Allan was never seen again. This was over nine years ago now. 

My family never thought anything like this would happen to us; these are things you see on TV or read in newspapers. We were totally lost and did not have a clue where to turn or how to look for help. 

The weeks and months passed, and then I started to talk to other families who had a missing loved one for support.  The thing about ambiguous loss is there is no grief, just constant heartache and pain- the sleepless nights and the trying to find the strength to get through each day. 

I started to talk to other families with a missing loved one, and that’s when I realised this happens to families more often than people think. Soon I became friends with families with missing loved ones for support and to support each other. I would honestly be lost without them as we are the only ones who truly know what the heartache is to have a family member missing. 

My son Allan would have been 33 on the 23rd of November 2023. Yet again, we will miss another one of his birthdays- no celebrations, just another difficult day to get through like many other days in the year like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Anniversaries. and Allan’s two little sisters’ Amy and Sophie’s birthdays. 

I just want to tell my son Allan I have done everything possible to try and find you over the past nine years. I will continue to do everything I can to find you and bring you home. We all love and miss you so much son you’re in our thoughts and hearts every day.

I also want to thank the charity Missing People for their continued support over the past nine years. The charity has done so much to keep our son Allan in the public eye. Thank you so much for keeping in touch with me on a regular basis by phone calls. I can’t praise the charity enough for what they do for families with a missing loved one. 

Appeal for Allan

Allan went missing from Glenrothes, Fife on 3rd November 2013. 10 years later, his family are still searching for answers.

If anyone has any information, please contact the police on 101.

You can even do this anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Missing People on 116 000.

You can also send information directly to the Major Investigation Team. No matter how small you may think it is, please send them an email via the address below. 

operationtoner@scotland.pnn.police.uk 

Members of the public are also encouraged to use this email address to assist them with their enquiries.