Scottish Catholic Observer

The family of an elderly parishioner of St Lucy’s Church in Cumbernauld who has been missing for 14 days are ‘extremely worried about him,’ according to the police.

Thomas Lamb, 79, went missing from his home in the Abronhill area just two days after his wife’s funeral at St Lucy’s. His family has said he had become increasingly ‘frail and forgetful.’

Inspector Vincent Ferris said Mr Lamb (right) went missing on the night of Saturday July 2, and was last seen getting on a bus.

“Officers are working to establish where Mr Lamb went after he got off the bus, however we need help from members of the public,” he added. “We would particularly like to speak to passengers on the Stagecoach X25 bus which left Cumbernauld town centre around 6:10pm, especially those who got off at the same stop as Mr Lamb in Moss Road near to Oak Road at 6:23pm. From CCTV, we can see that a number of other passengers got off the bus at this stop so if you may have seen Mr Lamb please do get in touch.”

Family’s desperation

Mr Lamb, who has three granddaughters and two grandsons, has never been away from home overnight before.

His son, Tommy Lamb, said his family were desperate for him to come home.

“We’re so tired but we’re just trying to get on with things,” he said. “My brother and I are holding ourselves together but my sister and niece are struggling.” Mr Lamb was said to have been upset following the recent and sudden death of his wife, Jean, from cancer.

“My mum’s funeral was last Thursday and my dad was a bit down, understandably,” Tommy Lamb said. “He was a quiet man so those outside the family might not have noticed but because we know him so well we could see he was upset and not quite himself. He and my mum were a close couple and they had lived in that house for their whole marriage. It must have been hard for him being there surrounded by her things and all those memories.”

Dozens of people have joined search parties, often meeting at St Lucy’s Church, to look for the missing man.

—[email protected]

—This story ran in full in the July 15 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.