Christmas and anniversaries are never easy for the families of missing people - and the birthday of a loved one who isn’t here to celebrate is the most heartbreaking of all.
Eight birthdays have passed since Shaune Jones went missing, and each year it gets tougher for his family, especially his mum, siblings and children.
Shaune, whose 54th birthday was on Saturday, was last seen a day after his 46th birthday, when he attended a mental health appointment near his home in Eltham, south London.
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Speaking to the Mirror, his younger sister Suzy Maltwood, 44, says she thinks about him every single day.
She says: “It will be hard not seeing him on his birthday but every year we get some balloons and all write a little message to him which we tie to the balloons before letting them go. We always celebrate it, just without Shaune here.

“It’s hard for mum, she’s just so distraught with it all and finds it very, very difficult to talk about. Every year it gets even harder - it’s supposed to get easier, but it doesn’t. It’s the not knowing, there’s no closure.”
There are many reasons why people go missing, from mental health to being unhappy or unsafe at home, to exploitation.
Yet mental health issues come up time and again, with up to 80% of people who go missing potentially experiencing some form of mental health problem, according to charity Missing People. And a significant number of them are male - in the UK, 118 men go missing each day in England and Wales alone.
Despite Shaune’s mental health struggles, Suzy says that the last time she saw him he was looking forward to the future and was even planning a hot date.
“Shaune had his problems and had disappeared before but only ever for a few weeks - he always came back,” Suzy explains.
“The last time I saw him he seemed fine and I even helped him choose an outfit for his date, which he was quite chirpy about - things were starting to look up for him.
“We were inseparable growing up and when I was younger I used to push the letterbox open and shout for him, and he’d go, ‘alright, come on then’ and he’d take me with him.
“As we got older we were always there for each other during tough times - despite the 10-year age difference - we were really close. He only lived half an hour away from me so if one of us needed support, we’d just get in the car and drive.
“I’ve still got the last text message he sent to me - it says he loves me so much and he wants to see me every day. We’d been estranged for a while in the past and he told me he was happy to be in my life again and he never wanted to be apart from me again.”
Since her big brother vanished without a trace, Suzy has left no stone unturned in the search for him - but exactly what happened to him remains a mystery.
She says: “It took me nearly a year of complaining before the police looked into it properly and they didn’t find anything more than what I’d already told them.
“The mental health person Shaune saw last said they were worried about his mental state and that he was very unwell on the day they saw him.”
Police have checked his phone and bank statements but have found no clues as to what happened to Shaune, who has distinctive scarring from being burned as a teenager and distinguishable tattoos on both his hands.
Shaune has five children and his 33-year-old son Douane - a rapper who goes by the stage name of Kozzie - has written songs about how much he misses his father, who he was very close to growing up.
During the last eight years, all kinds of scenarios have played through Suzy’s mind. She says: “In my heart I think something bad has happened to him but I do have a little bit of hope that one day he might walk through the door.
“Not knowing is the hardest but we still have hope. I think you have to have a little bit of hope to hold onto - it’s the only way you can keep going.
“If he sees this I’d like to say ‘Shaune whatever has happened - even if you’re in trouble - we’re all here for you. We all love you and miss you and think about you every single day. We just want to know you’re OK.’”

Suzy has written to her local MP Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, asking for her support in convincing the Metropolitan police to re-investigate his case.
Ms Oppong-Asare told The Mirror she is urging the police to reopen it: “Having a loved one go missing is an unimaginably distressing experience.
“When Suzy, a constituent of mine, shared the heartbreaking story of her brother’s disappearance and the lack of answers after eight long years, I was deeply moved and concerned.
“Since learning of her situation, I have urged the police to urgently re-examine the case. I now await their response and remain committed to ensuring Suzy and her family get the answers and closure they deserve.”
Every year, 170,000 people go missing. Many of them are found, with three percent of cases remaining unsolved for longer than a week. The Mirror is working with the charity Missing People to shine a light on missing people and to help their families get answers.
Missing People has been supporting Suzy and her family through their ordeal.
Chantal Korcz, Communications Manager, said: “Shaune, if you see this, please know that whenever you’re ready, we are here for you - to listen, to help you get the support you need, to pass a message, and to make sure you’re safe.”
*Suzy has created a dedicated Facebook page, ‘Justice for Missing Shaune Jones’, where she publishes updates on her brother’s search.
• The Mirror is using its platform to launch Missed – a campaign to shine a light on underrepresented public-facing missing persons in the UK via a live interactive map, in collaboration with Missing People Charity. Because every missing person, no matter their background or circumstances, is someone’s loved one. And they are always Missed.
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