Laurence Dollimore
Have you seen Thomas Dures in Spain? Contact tips@theolivepress.es
BRITISH police are offering a £20,000 (€24,000) reward for information that leads to the arrest of Thomas Dures (pictured above, right), who they believe may be in Spain.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and Lancashire Police want to speak to the 21-year-old in connection with the murder of a teenager last year.
In July 2023, Matthew Daulby, 19, was stabbed to death in Railway Road in Ormskirk, Lancashire.
While Henry Houghton was jailed for life for the murder in March this year, police still want to track down Dures.
DCI Andy Fallows said: “It has now been over 12 months since Matthew’s murder and although one man has been found guilty, his family’s wait for justice goes on.
“Thomas Dures has known that my officers have wanted to speak to him for some time and while Matthew’s family continue to search for answers about what happened that night, Dures is out there and knows we want to speak to him.
“While I believe it is high time Dures does the right thing and hands himself in, I still have officers in the UK and our National Crime Agency/ Interpol colleagues searching for him.
“As part of those searches, I am asking for the public in Spain to get in contact with Crimestoppers if they see Dures or have information on his whereabouts.
“I want to make it clear, that unusually the public only need to provide information that leads to Dures’ arrest.”
The £20,000 reward for ‘information leading to the arrest of Thomas Dures’ is made up of £10,000 from Crimestoppers and £10,000 from Lancashire Police and the Crime Commissioner’s office.
Matthew’s parents Angela and Gary said: “Matthew was tragically taken from us on 29th July – the victim of a knife crime. To lose Matthew in these circumstances is incomprehensible and something that we just can’t fathom and work out.
“We as ourselves every day; ‘why?’. Why did this happen? Matthew left the house after a normal Friday night evening meal with his girlfriend – excited to go on his holiday – and didn’t come home. And we still don’t know why.
“We really need the public’s help to find Thomas Dures. Someone out there will know where he is. We’re just stuck in limbo as a family. We urge someone out there please, please help our family to locate Thomas Dures. We can then try to adapt to our new life without Matthew.”
The reward is only available to people who pass on information exclusively to the charity Crimestoppers, either via their website or by calling 0800 555 111.
Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager in Spain, said: “Dures has known links to Spain and could be living anywhere in the country.
“We are therefore appealing to people who reside in Spain and visiting holidaymakers to come forward with any information relating to his whereabouts.
“It has been over a year since Matthew Daulby’s life was taken in tragic circumstances, and we are actively working with our partners here in Spain to locate Dures, who may be able to assist Lancashire Police detectives with their ongoing investigation.”
