Allan Bryant's dad tells of 'nightmare' as family awaits ID of human remains

Allan Bryant senior spoke as officers in Glenrothes examine the remains found at the Whitehill Industrial Estate at the weekend.

Alan Bryant was reported missing after failing to return home from a night out on November 3, 2013.

He was last seen at 2.02am outside Styx Nightclub in Caskieberran Road, Glenrothes, after attending a friend’s engagement party.

Since then, his family have undertaken a high-profile campaign to find out what happened to their son.

Officers informed the family on Sunday evening about the discovery of human remains at Whitehill.

Today, his father, Allan Senior said he hoped that the family would finally have some closure.

He told the Fife Free Press: “We're struggling, just waiting to find out what forensics come back with.

"We've been through this before when they found a guy at the town park, it wasn't him.

"The police came and told us on Sunday night that human remains had been found, but nothing more.

"We hadn't really slept that night.

"It's Whitehill industrial estate, there are a lot of derelict buildings that haven't been used in years and they can be quite run down.

"If it's not him, then who is it?

"If it is him, then is there foul play involved?

"I don't see him going to an industrial estate. He's no reason to go into the darkness on a cold night.”

Police are also understood to have informed the family of Kenneth Jones, another Glenrothes man who disappeared on the same date in 1998.

Allan Senior continued: "It's a nightmare. I'm hoping it's him but I've got my doubts.

“It could be an unknown person, you just don't know.”

He also added that the support from friends and family has been helping them get through the wait.

He said: “A lot of friends have been getting in contact and bringing us things to eat as we're not going to the shop.

"We just need closure. It's just gone on too long. We know he's not alive. We just need it to end.

"It's not knowing. We're just sitting here talking about how and why he might have gone there. It might be Kenneth Jones.

"We haven't even had a funeral."

Timeline

• November 3, 2013. Allan Bryant Jnr was last seen at 2.02am outside Styx Nightclub in Caskieberran Road, Glenrothes, after attending a friend’s engagement party.

• November 7. Allan’s father, also Allan, made an emotional plea for his son to come home.

• November 8-9. Police hope Styx club regulars will hold the key to the whereabouts of Allan Bryant Jnr, the club’s CCTV captured the last confirmed sighting of Allan leaving the club at 2.02 a.m. the previous Sunday morning.

• November 11. Police criticised by Allan Bryant Snr when an incident support van to be situated outside the Glenrothes nightclub where his son was last seen failed to materialise following a vehicle breakdown. It was hoped the police presence would jog people’s memories a week on from Allan Jnr’s disappearance.

• November 11. Family and friends begin to distribute 50,000 missing posters initially in the Glenrothes area and then across towns and communities in Fife, appealing for information.

• November 12. Teams of police officers drafted in from across Fife and central Scotland to help search hedges, fields and woodland in the Glenrothes area.

• November 14. Police divers brought in to trawl ponds and river in Riverside Park as search continues.

• November 22. On the eve of Allan’s 24th birthday, his mum Marie Degan, made a tearful appeal to the public for information as to Allan’s whereabouts. The appeal made from Glenrothes Police Station was also included on STV 6pm news broadcast that same evening. Chief Inspector Derek McEwan also reiterated that the search would continue “for as long as it takes” and that renewed resources available through Police Scotland would be administered.

• December 14. Images were beamed to 60,000 football fans during half time interval at the Celtic v Hibernian game at Celtic Park.

• December 24. Allan’s mother and father give an emotional interview to the Gazette lifting the lid on their ongoing heartache and despair. Mum Marie says she now “fears the worst” and thinks her son is dead as Police continue their search for the missing man.

• January 5, 2014. Charity football match held to raise funds to help the continued appeal for information.

• January 8. Family issue a video thanking the public for their continued support.

• January 13. Police Scotland say they remain “fully committed” to what has become the most significant missing person enquiry ever undertaken by police in Fife.

• January 15. Allan Bryant Snr dismissed suggestions that any form of protest should be made about how the police have handled the search for the missing 24-year-old and in a video posted on Facebook said he was “reassured” that the police would not give up the search for his son.

• January 22, 2014. Police met to update community leaders and supporters of the Bryant family on progress.

• January 29. Allan Bryant Snr praises the Glenrothes Gazette for its support in keeping the developments of the continued search in the public eye.

• February 4. Police release a new poster and issue an updated appeal for information.

• February 10. Family announce the cash reward has been doubled to £2000 thanks to a donation from Kingdom Credit Union, Glenrothes. A new e-poster has been distributed across social media.

• August 9, 2015: Police announce the discovery of skeletal remains at Riverside Park in Glenrothes, but it was found that they did not belong to Allan.

• June 16, 2017: Police swoop on a residential property in Barton Place, Glenrothes, searching the home for around four weeks. No trace was found.

• August 2017: Allan’s parents appear on Celebrity Trolls, a Channel 5 programme, after the family faced instances of vile abuse from several internet trolls.

• June 19, 2018: Allan’s family appear on BBC’s Crimewatch to appeal to the public.

• July 26, 2018: Police begin search of River Leven near the old Tullis Russell plant. After a few hours, the search is concluded. Police said “nothing of note” was found but Allan’s family were informed.