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Appeal on 50th anniversary of disappearance of two boys from west Belfast

John Rodgers (L) and Thomas Spence disappeared after leaving their homes in Belfast on 26 November 1974
John Rodgers (L) and Thomas Spence disappeared after leaving their homes in Belfast on 26 November 1974

Fifty years after the disappearance of two young boys in west Belfast, the PSNI has issued a fresh appeal for information.

Thomas Spence, 11, from Rockdale Street and 13-year-old John Rodgers from Rodney Drive, were last seen on the morning of Tuesday 26 November 1974 when they left their homes to walk to a bus stop on the Falls Road to catch a bus to St Aloysius School on Somerton Road in north Belfast.

The boys never made it to school and have not been seen since that day.

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Legacy Investigation Branch are reviewing the case.

They said it remained an "open missing persons case" with the circumstances around the disappearance of the two boys being treated as "unexplained and potentially suspicious".

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The PSNI said officers are "very aware of the pain and suffering that the families of Thomas and John continue to feel today, particularly with not knowing the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of these two young innocent boys. Our thoughts very much remain with them at this time."

The PSNI said it will consider all opportunities as part of its review of the case and "will consider all potential criminal offences that may be linked to their disappearance".

They urged anyone with any information in relation to Thomas and John's disappearance to contact the PSNI's Legacy Investigation Branch.

In 2001, police dug up the back yards of two houses in Rodney Drive as part of a bid to find the bodies of the two boys.

A man was questioned about their disappearance but was not charged.

The dig, codenamed Operation Galena, involved more than 100 officers, some whom took part in the search for mass graves in Kosovo, together with experts flown in from England.

Additional reporting PA