An 79‑year‑old British tourist, Iain Stanley, has been reported missing in the coastal town of Nerja on Spain’s Costa del Sol, prompting the Civil Guard to open a formal investigation.
Stanley was last seen around 2 p.m. On February 11 near the Perla Marina Hotel, after leaving a holiday home in the area. According to his wife, he failed to return and she filed a missing‑person report on Thursday.
Police say the pensioner was in good health and was dressed in black jeans, a shirt and a blue jacket at the time of his disappearance. He was also without his mobile phone or passport, which has complicated efforts to locate him.
Police investigation and early leads
The Civil Guard has taken charge of the case, questioning a taxi driver who claimed he may have given a lift to a man matching Stanley’s description to the nearby town of Torrox. Investigators later determined this to be a false lead.
Authorities are continuing to canvass the neighbourhood and have appealed for information through local expatriate Facebook groups, where relatives and community members have posted appeals for any sightings.
Community response and background
Friends and fellow travellers have noted that Stanley was on a two‑month holiday in Nerja, though his exact hometown in the United Kingdom remains unclear. The appeal has been circulated widely among the expatriate community, which often serves as a valuable network for locating missing persons.
While the investigation is ongoing, officials have not ruled out any possibilities and stress the importance of any tip, however minor it may seem.
Related incidents
In recent weeks, Spanish authorities have dealt with other missing‑person cases involving British tourists, including a woman rescued after a 30‑hour search in a Tenerife ravine. Those incidents underscore the challenges of locating individuals in remote or unfamiliar terrain.
Next steps
The Civil Guard has asked anyone with information to contact the local police station in Nerja or call the national missing‑persons hotline. Updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
Readers with credible leads are encouraged to share them with authorities and to stay tuned for further developments.
For the latest details, see the Metro report on the case.
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