The search for Liam Colgan in Germany is to be expanded nationwide after his mother, Patricia, embarked on her first “difficult” trip to Hamburg since he went missing.
Mrs Colgan made the journey to see the last places where Liam was sighted and get a better understanding of the scale of the task in finding him.
She is expected to return to the UK today or tomorrow, following a week in and around Hamburg.
The German police briefed her on the “active” search for her son with a new report of him being spotted about an hour’s drive (32 miles) west of Hamburg.
Eamonn Colgan, Liam’s brother, said: “While she was over, there was a new sighting in Harsefeld near Buxtehude, but it is a difficult one.
“It is good in a way because it means people are still keeping him in mind, but it can be challenging.
“When you get a new sighting, then your hope goes up, but when nothing comes of it, then you your spirits can go down. She is struggling with that.”
Speaking about Mrs Colgan, he said: “She is finding it difficult, she is quite downhearted because she is not coming back with Liam.
“But I think the trip benefitted her because it is a lot easier to see with your own eyes and understand the size of Hamburg.
Mr Colgan added that it was more important than ever for people to keep sharing Liam’s photo “because you never know who it could reach” as they try to broaden the search.
There is a possibility that Liam may be travelling to places he already knows like Hanover or Berlin by hitch-hiking.
Mr Colgan said: “We are not convinced he is still in Hamburg – we want to expand the search across the country.
“We are encouraging people to take photos with their phones, so we can get concrete evidence of where Liam has been.
“What is happening now is we are getting less sightings, but they are coming to us soon instead of after a few weeks, so they are fresher.”
Mr Colgan claimed that both the family and police remain optimistic they can gain a positive result with his father planning to head to Germany soon.
Liam Colgan, 29, a postman from Inverness went missing on Saturday, February 10 at his brother’s stag party in Hamburg.
