Sandy Davidson: Police mark 47 years since disappearance of missing toddler from Ayrshire with renewed appeal

Police investigating the disappearance of a toddler almost 50 years ago have launched a renewed appeal for information to mark another year having passed since the youngster vanished.

Sandy Davidson was just three years old when he was reported missing on April 23, 1976. He was last seen playing in the garden of his grandmother’s house on St Kilda Street in the Boutreehill area of Irvine, with his two-year-old sister Donna and the family dog.

Police believe that the dog escaped from the garden and Sandy went to look for it, but the youngster never returned. An extensive search for the toddler was launched by officers and members of the local community. Work on a nearby building estate was stopped as part of the hunt, but the toddler was never traced.

Over the years, Donna has worked tirelessly to try and find her brother. Last year, she told Scotland Tonight that she believed her brother had been murdered. She said: “I’ve lived my full life loving somebody and aching for somebody, and I’ve not even got a single memory of him. It’s the not knowing – [but] I know deep in my heart that Sandy’s been murdered.”

She added: “I rack my brain every single day trying to think what happened, and then I get angry with myself for not being able to get my mum and dad answers. The two of them are getting older, I’ve heard both of them saying they need to know what happened to their son before they pass away.”

Despite nearly 50 years having passed since the toddler's disappearance, Police Scotland are continuing to chase new leads. In 2016, officers released an age-progressed image to show what Sandy may look like now. When he went missing at age three, Sandy had curly blonde hair and blue eyes.

Police are urging anyone who has information that could help the investigation into Sandy’s disappearance to get in touch with officers via 101. If you have information about a crime that you want to pass on anonymously, you can also contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.