Missing man Scott Sheffield: Family's appeal for Steel City to check cameras on these routes following breakthrough

Scott Alexander Ash, 20, left his home in Beckett Avenue, in Lowedges, shortly after midnight on January 1 while the rest of Sheffield were ringing in the New Year and hasn’t been seen since.

Now, five days after his disappearance, his family is asking for their city’s help to check home security and CCTV cameras after a possible breakthrough on his route that morning.

Scott’s mum Jinni Barwick said: “The past few days have been hell but we’re feeling positive now that we’re a bit closer to finding him. Scott is a genius at subjects that interest him and is very driven in areas where he can focus an interest. He’s not your typical 20-year-old.”

Jenni says when she went to bed at 11pm on December 31, Scott was in his room talking on his gaming headset as was normal for him. But when she woke up at 8.30am the next day, he was not in his room and the contents of his wallet – including his ID, bus pass and bank card – were on his desk. She called the police shortly afterwards when she realised he was missing.

New footage has emerged showing Scott walking on Chesterfield Road in the early hours of January 1. With it, the family has shared what they know of Scott’s movements and what he was wearing that morning in the hope Sheffield will check their CCTV and help bring him home.

Scott left his home on Beckett Avenue sometime before 1am on January 1 wearing a thin black waterproof coat, tracksuit bottoms and steel-cap work boots.

Although he has not been formally diagnosed, Scott’s family believe he is autistic.

At 1.09am, he was spotted on CCTV near the BP garage by the Meadowhead Roundabout. At 1.25am, he was then seen near the Abbey pub in Woodseats, close to the entrance to Graves Park.

In the most recent piece of CCTV, at 1.41am, Scott was spotted outside the HiQ Tyres shop on Chesterfield Road.

Put together, Jinni believes it is possible Scott was following Chesterfield Road along the No.24 First Bus route he used to take into town, and from there could possibly be following a route to Hillsborough or Attercliffe.

Jinni is asking Sheffield residents to check their home security camera between from the early hours of January 1, especially if they live on or near: Chesterfield Road; Queens Road; Charlotte Road; Shoreham Street; Saint Mary’s Road; Eyre Street; Cumberland Street; Charter Row; Furnival Gate and Arundel Gate.

Jinni is also asking residents who live along the city’s tramlines to check their cameras, as it is possible Scott followed these once he was in town.

The Sheffield mum is also asking anyone who may have been walking or driving on these roads that morning to think about if they may have seen Scott.

Anyone with CCTV footage can submit it to South Yorkshire Police through their online portal.

Have you seen Scott? Anyone with information is asked to call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 535 of January 1.