Christmas '˜difficult' for family of RAF man Corrie McKeague

The mother of missing RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague has told of her anguish at spending the festive period without her son.

Missing RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague. Picture: PA

It has now been more than three months since police officer Nicola Urquhart’s 23-year-old son vanished after a night-out with five workmates in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

In an interview with ITV’s This Morning programme, Mrs Urquhart, from Dunfermline, Fife, said she had still not given up hope of finding her middle son despite going through a worrying time over the festive period.

She said: “It was incredibly difficult for me, the boys and the rest of the family. But we got through it, we are a strong family and we just need to take each day as it comes.

“It’s just concentrating on what we can do proactively to try and help the police.”

Mrs Urquhart has been using social media to encourage others to keep up the search for her son and is convinced he was happy with his job and life.

She said: “Corrie is so memorable, everybody that meets hims just falls in love with him.

“He’s really happy, he wants to be the centre of attention, he loves meeting new people, he’s just a really, really friendly, outgoing, confident guy.”

• READ MORE: Grandparents of missing RAF man Corrie McKeague offer reward

Police have been analysing CCTV footage of Mr McKeague’s movements.

CCTV footage showed Mr McKeague, who was based at nearby RAF Honington, walking alone and eating fast food in Bury St Edmunds at 3.25am on September 24 after visiting three bars in the area.

The serviceman, who had the weekend off, was reported missing on Monday September 26 after he failed to turn up for work.

Mrs Urquhart believes there is nothing to suggest he wanted to disappear.

She said: “There’s no preparation, there’s not one single piece of evidence. He’s disappeared a week before payday, he’s not touched his money since he left.

“His vehicle was three minutes away walking and it was his pride and joy.”

Mr McKeague had been in contact with his brother Darroch four times in the day before he vanished and Mrs Urquhart said she was close to her family and there is nothing they would not tell her.

She added: “As a police officer, I know that a lot of families think they know their children if something like this happens and then they realise there’s an awful lot they didn’t know.

“But there’s not actually anything I’ve been told yet that I’ve not been the first one to tell the police.”