20 Dec, 2024 @ 18:42
1 min read

John Hardy latest: Timeline of Brit father’s disappearance from Benidorm as concern grows

JOHN Hardy has now been missing for almost a week after flying into Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca last Saturday.

The Belfast native is a father-of-two and is sorely missed by his family, who desperately want him home for Christmas.

Police in Northern Ireland are now attempting to work with Spanish authorities to find him.

Below is a timeline of John’s disappearance. If you know where he might be, contact the police or email tips@theolivepress.es.

Saturday, December 14

John is due to drive down from Alicante to Benidorm, where he is due to visit a friend.

He makes his last known phone call to a family member in which he sounds ‘very distressed’, according to appeals made by relatives on social media.

John has not been seen or heard from since.

Tuesday, December 17

A possible sighting of John is made at the Tiki Beach bar on Benidorm’s seafront at around 1pm.

However according to Missing Persons Spain, the sighting has not yet been verified nor produced any significant leads.

Tiki Beach bar in Benidorm (Credit: Google Maps)

Wednesday, December 18

John misses his flight home to Belfast, sparking serious concern among family and friends.

Several days have now passed without contact with loved ones, which his sister Courtney would later describe as ‘very out of character’.

Thursday, December 19

Family members make a series of appeals online after contacting both Spanish and Northern Irish police.

One reads: “John last had contact on Saturday with a phone call and was very distressed. No contact since and his phone is dead.

“He has distinctive tattoos covering a lot of his body with the name GEORGIE.

“Family are really concerned as he missed his return flight yesterday 18th Dec. Police and Hospitals have been contacted… Let’s get John home.”

Friday, December 20

Northern Irish police request to work alongside Spanish authorities to help find John.

His sister Courtney tells local news that the family is ‘distraught’.

She says: “We want him home and we want him safe. He has a family that loves and adores him… he has two sons… the unknown is the killer.”

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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