Mum of missing X Factor star Levi Davis issues plea to UK police two years on from his disappearance
The mother of missing rugby player Levi Davis has pleaded with UK police to amp up their efforts to find her son on the second anniversary of his disappearance.
Julie Davis has called on Brit officials to handle the investigation in a similar fashion to how probes into other high-profile missing persons cases were dealt with, such as in the hunts for Jay Slater and Madeleine McCann.
West Midlands Police told the Davis family that the case is now being handled by Spanish officers, adding that they will pitch in 'if there are any further developments'.
Levi's mum, Julie, revealed that his relatives have been left 'frustrated' by the stagnation in the search for The X Factor star, 26, and believes that British cops could be doing a lot more to help find him.
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What happened to Levi Davis?
The sportsman, who was aged 24 when he vanished, had arrived in Barcelona after travelling from Ibiza with just £35 in his pocket and no change of clothes.
The last sighting of the gifted rugby player was captured on CCTV footage on 29 October, 2022, which showed him leaving The Old Irish Pub on La Rambla at 10:05pm that evening.
He has not been in contact with any of his family or friends since sending a voice note on WhatsApp shortly after midnight on that fateful evening.
There has been no activity on Levi's phone or bank account since he vanished, but police found his passport in Barcelona’s port area a month after he was last seen.
Levi Davis' mum issues a statement
Julie explained she has been plagued by 'emotional anxiety and sleepless nights' in the run up to the second anniversary of her son's disappearance, but added: "Until a body is found, I have to remain hopeful."
She continued: "We have felt abandoned by the police, and I believe Levi was a victim of crime in the UK and in Spain.
"So many things do not add up. I'm determined to fight for the truth.
"They pulled out the stops to find Jay Slater and search and pursue justice for Madeleine McCann. They need to do the same now for Levi."
She refused to 'give up hope' on her son, but said not knowing what happened to Levi has really taken it's toll on her.
"It's very hard being asked all the questions from other family and there being no update to give," Julie added. "I don't know if my son is dead or alive.
"He's my baby and he's very vulnerable and I just want him home".
Is the investigation into Levi Davis' disappearance still ongoing?
Despite huge appeals and mammoth searches, Levi has still not been tracked down since he vanished in Barcelona on 29 October, 2022.
This week, police said they weren't planning to use the milestone anniversary of the former Bath winger’s disappearance to make a public appeal for information, as they have 'nothing new to offer'.
A spokesperson for the investigating magistrate at the city court which had been probing Levi's disappearance told the Mirror: "There are no updates in this case. It's still provisionally archived," - meaning that the probe is no longer active and will only progress if new information comes to light at some point.
Cops in the Catalan capital, known as the Mossos d'Esquadra, echoed a similar statement too, saying that the investigation remained opened but there was 'nothing new' to discuss.
Julie wants UK police to take a closer look into claims Levi was being blackmailed and had threats made against his life prior to his disappearance, as an investigation by The Byline Times found evidence backing this up.
Journalists Dan Evans and Tom Latchem claimed they were able to corroborate the allegations, while also finding several issues with the investigation conducted by Spanish cops.
As per the BBC, the pair said: "The police [in Barcelona] have failed to properly get CCTV, they didn't get the communications history Levi was using and they didn't do anything properly.
"They say they have been looking into the possibility Levi might have been blackmailed and want the case to be looked at more thoroughly.
"This is an international case, which has fallen between gaps and the police don't work together. The British police thought 'well it happened in Barcelona, we can wash our hands of it', and the police there have fluffed it.
"We have made major new discoveries around the police's preferred theory that Levi drowned, including establishing that unidentified parties had to be involved if indeed it was him seen shouting for help in a busy shipping lane a mile out to sea, casting doubt on the official finding that there is no evidence of crime."
Topics: Parenting, Rugby, UK News, World News, X Factor, Travel
Olivia Burke