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By Debbie Johnson

Every Christmas, there is an empty place set at the table of Nadine Fudge and her family.

And every year since 1995, that place has remained empty – a reminder of her heartbreaking search for her missing son, Philip.

Philip, who was then 21, went missing after a Christmas party in Liverpool in 1995. For the last 19 years his mum Nadine, now 70, has never given up – and still lives in hope that, one day, he will finally come home.

She says: “I truly believe, in my heart that he is out there somewhere. That no harm has come to him, and for whatever reason, he hasn’t been in touch. I believe that – I have to. Not a single day goes by that I don’t think about him, but Christmas is especially hard – it’s the time of year he went missing, and for other people, it’s all about being with family. For us, the family isn’t whole, because Philip isn’t here.

“We have a big photo of him up, and the whole family still desperately misses him. I have another son and three daughters, and he has left a gap in all of our lives. My youngest grandson is only eight, and has never even met Philip – he just knows that he went away.

“We save a place for him at the table every year.”

Philip, a qualified baker and chef who was working as a lorry driver, was a member of the Territorial Army. He had driven to Liverpool from his home in Hull for a party at HMS Eaglet, the Royal Naval Reserves unit near the city centre, on December 10. He was seen leaving in a taxi with two girls, and has never been heard from since.

The mystery of his disappearance sparked a five-week long search, with divers and a helicopter scouring 200 miles of coastline. Nadine has also continued her own search, handing out tens of thousands of leaflets and making appeals in the press and on television – all to no avail.

Nadine, who is a councillor and Lord Mayor in Hull, says: “Obviously I’ve thought everything over the years. I’ve wondered if he had a head injury and lost his memory. Wondered why he’s not been in touch. The uncertainty is really what kills us.

“But I do still believe that he is out there. I think when people go missing, for whatever reason, the longer they leave it the harder it becomes for them to come home. They get embarrassed and feel ashamed, and coming back seems like too much of an ordeal. They feel that, as more time passes, they can’t get in touch. I think that’s what has happened with Philip – but I will never rest until I know.”

Nadine has been involved with the national charity Missing People, which she has also supported via her role as Lord Mayor. She says: “Without them, I would have cracked – they have kept me sane.

“They are always there to talk to, when you feel you can’t keep going on about it to friends and family. They really understand.”

Missing People also allows those who have disappeared, or people who know them, to leave messages that will be passed on to their loved ones. The website – www.missingpeople.org.uk – also features other people missing from the Merseyside area.

“On the day Philip went to Liverpool, I had a meeting in the morning to do with my work as a councillor. He was still in bed, so I didn’t even get to say goodbye – and I’ve never spoken to him since. We all take it for granted that we’ll see each other again, but in our case, it never happened.”

She admits that first Christmas without him was ‘awful’.

“But every Christmas since has been bad. If I could send Philip a message, it would be this – just let us know you are well and happy. I don’t care about questioning you, or finding out what happened, I just want to know that you are safe. We love you, and we miss you.

“And if someone out there knows Philip, please get in touch through Missing People. That wouldn’t just make my Christmas – it would make my entire life.”

At the time of his disappearance, Philip Fudge was 21 years old. He is 5ft 10in tall, with blue eyes, and in 1995 was of heavy build and had short fair hair.

As well as this picture of Philip at the time he went missing, Missing People has also issued an image which has been digitally processed to show what he might have looked like in later years.

If Philip wants to get in touch, or if anybody has any information about him, they can call or text 116000, completely confidentially.