'For our sanity we now have to move on'

The brother of a woman who went missing 33 years ago has said the family now has to move on "for our own sanity" and focus instead on "looking after the living".

Nigel Payne spoke amid plans to close social media pages used to seek information on sister Nicola's disappearance on 14 December 1991.

The pages are to be shut down on Thursday - her 52nd birthday.

The case, however, remains open and West Midlands Police says while there are no new lines of inquiry, it is committed to finding mother-of-one Ms Payne, who went missing at the age of 18 while walking to her parents' home in Coventry.

The family presumes her deceased.

They said they lived in quiet hope her remains would one day be found and laid to rest, but, according to Mr Payne, the focus must switch to those left behind.

"It's been 30-odd years," he said.

"For our own sanity, we've got to move on and live our own lives."

He added: "It will never go away. The dates are always in my head. I know what time of year it is from the mood I'm in.

"Our only hope is if someone gains a conscience or if they accidentally find Nicola."

Det Supt Shaun Edwards said: "The inquiry into Nicola's disappearance is subject to continual review and we will always respond appropriately to new investigative opportunities.

"Sadly there are no new lines of inquiry currently for us to pursue."

He said a specialist family liaison officer was still assigned to the family to offer support and to update them on any developments.

"We still believe there may be people out there who hold information about what happened in 1991 and I urge anyone who has not previously contacted us with information to contact us," he said.

"It could make all the difference and could finally bring Nicola's family the closure they deserve."

In 1991, the 18-year-old left her boyfriend's house on Winston Avenue to walk to her parents' house on Woodway Close, Henley Green.

The walk should have taken about six minutes, but Nicola was never seen again – despite numerous searches and multiple appeals for information.

A 37-year-old man was arrested in 2007 on suspicion of abducting and murdering her, but no charges were brought.

New forensic tests in 2013 led to three people being arrested in connection with Nicola's disappearance, and in 2015 two men from Coventry were charged with her abduction and murder. They were cleared by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court.

A 52-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice was released without charge.

Nicola's mother, Marilyn Payne, died in 2023, and a social media post at the time described her as a tenacious woman who never gave up on trying to find her daughter.

"The bravery she showed was extraordinary, and now her determination will continue through her family and many friends in order to finally bring Nicola home," the post read.

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