Anthony Piovesan
A man last known to be in Alicante has instead been sighted at a pub 70km away asking bar staff a question that could be key to the investigation.
An Irishman who has been missing for almost a month on Spain’s Costa Blanca wandered into a pub and asked bar staff how to get to Malaga, according to a witness.
Ken Moore was last known to be in Alicante on the weekend of October 7-9.
The 54-year-old from Cork, who celebrates his birthday today, was holidaying along the Costa Blanca and was due home on October 7, but he never returned.
Moore’s sister Tanya Foley told the Olive Press she had contacted him when he hadn’t arrived at the airport and he had told her that he ‘wanted to stay a few extra days’.
Repeated attempts to contact him that next week then went unanswered.
But a crucial witness believed Moore’s last known location was at The Tavern in Orihuela Costa Villamartin, 70km south of Alicante, about October 15-17.
The Olive Press spoke to this witness, Sharon Davies, who said she saw Moore and spoke with him when he entered the bar.
“I was in The Tavern cleaning about 7.30am three weeks ago and he asked a couple of times if he could have a pint,” she said.
“I told him I couldn’t serve him and that it was quite early in the morning, then he asked me how far away Malaga was.
“I said it was quite a long way away and he’d need to get there by train or plane at least and then he left.”
Malaga is at least 450km away from Orihuela Costa Villamartin – nearly five hours by car.
The woman from Stoke-On-Trent, who now calls Villamartin home, said Moore appeared ‘unkempt’.
She then said she saw him later that morning about 9.30am having a beer outside The Winchester at Villamartin Plaza.
He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and was carrying a black backpack at the time.
Moore, who works in construction, left Cork for Valencia on September 17, and then spent some time in Alicante before planning to travel further down the Costa Blanca.
His worried sister filed a missing person’s report with the local guards in Cork, who then passed on the information to Spanish police.
“We’re worried – he would never be out of touch for this long,” Foley told the Olive Press.
“He’s a grown man and can do whatever he wants but his phone is always with him.
“If anyone sees him please help him contact home, we just want to know he’s okay.”
Foley said Spanish investigators had been searching Alicante hospitals and looking at Moore’s finances, with the last bank transaction made on October 10.
Moore is about 1.78m tall, with brown hair and blue eyes. He also wears a black earring on his left ear.
Spanish police have been contacted for comment.
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