Copyright birminghammail
The historic missing persons case of Blues fan Michael Bell has baffled police for more than four decades. The 27-year-old, from Sheldon , vanished while on a camping trip with a friend on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. West Midlands Police have now shared new details of the heartbreaking unsolved case with BirminghamLive. READ MORE: 'I find West Midlands missing people from cold cases all over the world - families need closure' READ MORE: I have very faint hope of seeing Michael again Police believe that Michael had a falling out with a friend as he wanted to return to Birmingham following a week away, whereas his friend was keen to stay on the trip longer. The force said that Michael grabbed some cigarettes and a lighter and walked away. He then took buses back to mainland Scotland having asked police officers there for help. He also rang his parents from a phone box from the small village of Tyndrum on May 14, 1983. He told them he was headed to Glasgow and would see them back in Birmingham the following day - but the call suddenly went dead. He was "never able to say goodbye or give further intentions", police said. Michael was never seen or heard from again - but police don't believe he ever made it back to Birmingham. Pc Shaun Reeve, from the force's specialist long-term investigation team, is one of two officers dealing with 79 historic cases in Birmingham and across the region. "Michael had visited the Isle of Skye in Scotland on May 7, 1983, with a friend. En-route they had visited Michael's auntie in the Lake District and stayed in hotels," PC Reeve, who is probing the case, told BirminghamLive. "Once on the Isle of Skye they camped in the Dunvegan area the west of the isle. At one point he called his parents and sounded a little bit depressed. He stated it wasn't going well as it was very cold. We don't have much more information on that. "On May 14, he wanted to return home, but his friend wasn't ready and wanted to stay on holiday. So Michael took some cigarettes and a lighter from the car and left and stated he wanted to go back to Birmingham . "His friend followed in the car and wanted to give him a lift to the Kyle of Lochalsh, which is close to the Isle of Skye, but on mainland Scotland. But Michael refused and that's the last contact they ever had with each other. "I believe Michael next went into a police station in Dunvegan and asked for directions to Glasgow. He appeared confused. An unknown officer later placed him on a bus to Portree on the Isle of Skye. Another officer met him off the bus at Portree and placed him on the bus to Glasgow. "Initially it first sounded like he went missing on the Isle of Skye. It now sounds like he made it to the mainland. "He then phoned his parents and stated he was in Dalwhinnie - a small village in the Scottish Highlands 120-miles from the Isle of Skye - stating he had left his friend and that they had argued as he had wanted to return home. "Another phone call was made from a phone box stating he was in Tyndrum, over 60 miles from Dalwhinnie, going towards Glasgow. "He said he was near the border and would be returning the next day. His father was skeptical as Michael didn't drive he thought there was no way he was going to get home the following day. "He gave him the benefit of the doubt but Michael unfortunately never got home. His parents reported him missing on 28 May - two weeks after he was last spoken to. On the last phone call, the call cut off so he was never able to say goodbye or give further intentions. "Any property Michael left at the camp was brought home by his friend when he returned. The friend confirmed that Michael left due to a dispute." Police are also seeking to locate Michael's brother who they have been unable to trace. Officers said they cannot rule out Michael going abroad and can't dismiss third party involvement, but there's no evidence he was a victim of crime. It is also understood that police have ruled out his friend as a suspect in this case. Suicide cannot be ruled out, but police said he did not intimate that to family or friends and said he wanted to return home. There was a chance he may have suffered a possible medical emergency, but his body has not been found. His parents Kenneth and Sheila Bell have launched a number of public appeals for information over the years. His dad Kenneth also hoped that he would see Michael at Birmingham City's FC stadium somewhere among the crowd, but sadly that has never happened. PC Reeve added: "I just hope someone remembers Michael. Little is known about home. He wasn't known to police. It seems like his intention was to get home, but there's no evidence to suggest he ever got back to Birmingham. "His parents have made countless appeals over the years but never had any closure. "His father attended Birmingham City football games for 20 years after the disappearance in the hope he would see Michael, but it never happened. "His friend was spoken to. Despite their falling out, we aren't treating him as a suspect as we know Michael got off the Island of Skye and made his way towards Glasgow. "He is described as a white British male, 5ft 9in, slim build, auburn hair, bluish, green eyes. He was quiet and didn't tend to mix in large groups, hard working, caring. "We're hoping people have more information on Michael as little is known of him. The most important thing is knowing where he went in Scotland. "We are just hoping he started a life elsewhere, which he is entitled to do. If that is the case, we are reaching out to Michael or anyone who knew him that he was or is still alive after May 1983. "We are keeping an open mind. We think he got off the bus at Tyndrum to ring his parents on May 14, but whether he got back on the bus (towards Glasgow) we just don't know. "The fact he didn't return and did not contact family, it is likely that he came to harm. But hopefully there will be one person out there that knows something." Police can be contacted on 101 or on its LiveChat.
