Body recovered in search for Ralph Hebden

POLICE have recovered a body from the North Sea at Arbroath – exactly three weeks after a Royal Marine disappeared after setting out for a morning run on the cliffs above the Angus town.

Ralph Hebden, whose wife Sarah gave birth to the couple’s first child 11 days ago, was last seen alive on the morning of Monday, 11 March.

He had set out to go on a morning run around the local cliffs on the outskirts of the town.

The last confirmed sighting of the missing marine was at 8:30am close to the entrance to the Morrisons supermarket in the town’s Hume Street on the day he vanished.

A man matching his description was spotted by a runner on the sea cliffs at Arbroath about 30 minutes later.

A spokesman for the Tayside Division of Police Scotland confirmed a body had been recovered from the sea at the shoreline at Carlingheugh Bay below the steep Arbroath cliffs shortly before noon.

The body was recovered by the Arbroath-based RNLI inshore lifeboat in a joint operation involving the police and Coastguard.

A police spokesman said: “Inquiries are continuing regards the incident. No further information is known at this time.”

A source said: “There is intense speculation that the body is that of missing marine Ralph Hebden.

“This cannot be confirmed at this time, although it is clearly a positive strand of inquiry that police are following.”

Marine Hebden, 32, who was originally from the Toxteth area of Liverpool, was stationed at 45 Commando’s base at RM Condor in Arbroath. He vanished only days before his wife was due to give birth.

Mrs Hebden gave birth to a baby daughter on Friday, 22 March, 11 days after her husband vanished. Last Monday, she issued an emotional appeal to her missing husband to return home to see their baby.

In a direct appeal, issued through Tayside Police, Mrs Hebden said: “‘Ralph, your daughter has been born. She is safe and healthy and we are both doing well.

“But we both need you home with us and we need you now. Please come home.’’

Shortly before being admitted to hospital to give birth, Mrs Hebden had appealed to her husband to let her know he was safe.

She said: “Ralph, as time goes by we are all extremely worried about you and concerned for your safety. Our baby is due in a couple of weeks and we need you home with us both. Your family and friends love you very much. Please come home or contact any of us to let us know you are safe.’’

More than 30 police officers had been involved in the extensive search for Marine Hebden since he disappeared.

They were joined at the height of the search by 30 of Marine Hebden’s fellow Commandos from the RM Condor base.

Speaking last week, Inspector Ally Robertson, who was leading the search, said: “Clearly, our fears for Ralph grow with each passing day, but we dearly hope that news of the best possible kind – being a dad to a healthy baby girl – will reach him.

“Sarah and the baby need Ralph home. Ralph’s family need to know he is safe and well and I appeal to him to get in touch as soon as possible to offer Sarah some peace of mind at what should be a happy time.”

Marine Hebden and his wife celebrated their first wedding anniversary in February.

He is believed to have returned to the Condor base from a three-month-tour of duty at Christmas.

On 14 March, police issued the last CCTV images of the Commando, showing Marine Hebden walking past the main entrance of the Morrisons supermarket in the town’s Hume Street.

The man matching his description was spotted by the runner on the sea cliffs at Arbroath half an hour later.

When last seen, Marine Hebden had been wearing black trainers and dark jogging bottoms.