Kevin Fasting was last spotted at a bus stop in 2003
Kevin Fasting, then 49, who has been missing since 2003(Image: PA)
A dad vanished into thin air despite helicopter searches and decades of media appeals. Kevin Fasting Senior was 49 when he went missing from his parents’ house in Aigburth more than 20 years ago. Despite searches far and wide, he has never returned home. He left his parents at their home on Aigburth Road, near Aigburth Vale, on Friday, November 21 2003. Kevin Snr had started a new job in Bootle delivering meals on wheels just a week previously.
On the morning of his disappearance, Kevin Snr left the house to go to work and was seen shortly after by a neighbour at a nearby bus stop. The neighbour offered Kevin Snr a lift to work but he declined. This was the last confirmed sighting of him, as he did not arrive for work.
Speaking to the ECHO this week, his son, Kevin Fasting Jnr, recalled the huge search for his dad in the days after he disappeared. The 43 year-old said: ”The week after he went, I remember I was down the (Otterspool) prom and on the Mersey, looking in some of the outhouses.
“The helicopters were going by looking for him as well. It was quite intensive. I was too young to drive then, but I was going around in one of my mate’s cars, and we were driving around all night for seven days, looking for him.
“But obviously as time passes, the likelihood of just finding him on the street gets less and less.”
Kevin Snr is described as white, 5’ 10”, of medium build, with blue eyes and short brown hair. He also has a Liver Bird and LFC tattoo on his lower right arm.
He was wearing a black trouser suit, a white long-sleeved shirt with a yellow tie, a grey fleece jacket, a dark green hooded trench coat, and size eight Clarks blue lace-up shoes and blue or brown jeans.
Kevin Fasting Senior with his son Kevin Fasting Junior and his daughter Becky(Image: Family hadnout)
Kevin also wore a distinctive LFC watch with a silver strap and was carrying £30 in cash. He was a massive Liverpool fan who went to the club’s first four European Cup finals from 1977 to 1984. But as time went on, he began to struggle with his mental health.
Not long before his disappearance, Kevin Snr tried to take his own life.
The night before he went missing, Kevin Jnr spoke to his dad over the phone and sensed he had a low mood. Kevin Jnr was in Leeds attending university at the time.
Mental health support
Helplines and support groups
The following are helplines and support networks for people to talk to, mostly listed on the NHS Choices website
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.CALM Campaign Against Living Miserably (0800 58 58 58) is a leading movement against suicide. It runs a UK helpline and webchat from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year for anyone who has hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.PANDAS (0808 1961 776) runs a free helpline and offers a support service for people who may be suffering with perinatal mental illness, including prenatal (antenatal) and postnatal depression plus support for their family or network.Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won’t show up on your phone bill.PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.Amparo provides emotional and practical support for anyone who has been affected by a suicide. This includes dealing with police and coroners; helping with media enquiries; preparing for and attending an inquest and helping to access other, appropriate, local support services. Call 0330 088 9255 or visit www.amparo.org.uk for more details.Hub of Hope is the UK’s most comprehensive national mental health support database. Download the free app, visit hubofhope.co.uk or text SHOUT to 85258 to find relevant services near you.Young Persons Advisory Service – Providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Liverpool’s children, young people and families. tel: 0151 707 1025 email: support@ypas.org.ukPaul’s Place – providing free counselling and group sessions to anyone living in Merseyside who has lost a family member or friend to suicide. Tel: 0151 226 0696 or email: paulsplace@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.ukThe Martin Gallier Project – offering face to face support for individuals considering suicide and their families. Opening hours 9.30-16.30, 7 days a week. Tel: 0151 644 0294 email: triage@gallierhouse.co.ukJames’ Place – supports men over 18 who are experiencing a suicidal crisis by providing quick access to therapy and support. Call 0151 303 5757 from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5.30pm or visit https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/
Kevin Snr left a note behind for his son and his daughter Becky. The note said he was sorry, that he’d let them down and that his children would be better off without him.
Kevin Jnr says his dad’s mental health issues reflect attitudes of the time. He said: “I’m 43 now going on 44. My dad was 49 when he went away so I’m starting to probably get the same thoughts and feelings that he would have around then – you’ve got responsibilities to look after your family.
“Back in those days, you couldn’t talk to anyone. I can understand the place he was in and in the early 2000s, it was more difficult to speak to someone about it. You’d bottle everything up yourself. I didn’t know that he was struggling to get to that level.”
Kevin Fasting Junior with his two daughters Sienna and Isabella(Image: Family hadnout)
Despite repeated appeals, a lot of the information Kevin Jnr has received about his dad has gone nowhere. He has accepted that he will probably never see his dad again, but believes he has managed to build a business empire in his memory.
Kevin Jnr, who now splits his time between Liverpool and London, said: “(The trail has) gone cold to be fair. Usually every year the media picks it up. There’s been a couple of years where we do get a few people reaching out but to no avail.
“But to be honest, the last five years there has been absolutely nothing. It’s obviously a very long time ago, before CCTV and everything. It’s still just a complete mystery where he went and what happened.
“I set up my first business (a legal firm) and I called it Kevin Edwards, named after my dad. The idea was to advertise on bus stops and use the revenue to bring him home that way.
“But then what I didn’t expect was where it would end up. We’ve got around 300 staff now across multiple groups and industries.
“It’s the Kevin Edward Group, a group of companies. So what I try and do now is use his name at any public speaking events and things like that.
“It’s to keep his name out there. There’s still a slight chance that it could bring him home, but the more likely thing is that it’s about his legacy now.
“People can’t forget him. I can’t forget him. My kids can’t forget him. They’re going to hopefully be inheriting the company one day and taking the reins in the name of my dad.”
If you think you have seen Kevin, you can submit the sighting online via the Merseyside Police Report a Sighting Portal or call 101.
People can visit Kevin’s appeal on the Missing People website here, from where they can report a sighting, download his missing appeal as a poster, and share it via Facebook, Twitter, and in public spaces.
You can call them on 116 000 or email116000@missingpeople.org.uk.