The last sighting of Robert Duff on CCTV in Islington

THE family of a man who vanished without trace 10 years ago say they have been “failed” by police after feeling forced to investigate his disappearance themselves.

Stephanie Duff, whose father Robert Duff went missing in January 2013, also said she believes police were slow to investigate his case because he was stereotyped as a drug user.

Police searched an address in Bredgar Road, Archway, but the case remains unsolved.

“I want people to know the police failed us right from the beginning, from day one, still to this day now,” Ms Duff told the Tribune this week.

Robert, who disappeared on the eve of Stephanie’s 18th birthday, was last traced on CCTV footage showing him withdrawing money from a cash point outside Sainsbury’s in Holloway Road on January 12.

He was living in Kilburn at the time of his disappearance.

Robert Duff

The family raised the alarm when Robert failed to turn up to his daughter’s birthday the following day. But according to Ms Duff, police had “no sense of urgency” in the aftermath of his disappearance. This claim is disputed by the Met.

Ms Duff said a missing persons inquiry centred on the hypothesis that Mr Duff’s disappearance “could be drug-related” to the potential exclusion of “other avenues”.

“I think it was discrimination to be honest, in terms of my dad being on drugs. But he wasn’t your typical drug user,” she said. “My dad had a flat, my dad held down a job. My dad was what you could call a functioning user – a lot of people ­never knew my dad used. He was a family man.”

Ms Duff is now calling for greater family input during missing persons inquiries.

“I feel like they’re missing these critical ­little points in the early stages,” she said.

After their initial disappointment with the police search, Ms Duff said her family began conducting their own investigation.

“A lot of what the police know is from the family. We knocked on doors, we went door to door, we still do it to this day – we put up posters in Archway and talk to ­people in the street,” said Ms Duff.

Mr Duff’s daughters Charlotte and Stephanie

Police later upgraded their search for Robert to a murder inquiry in 2018, and began dredging local ponds including on Hampstead Heath.

“We always worked with the police, and never said about any of these things. We just thought: ‘Right, let’s have faith in the police’,” said Ms Duff. “Our faith in the police is now our regret. Everything got lost there in that first five years.

“That’s a long time for a murderer or anyone who’s been involved to have no pressure on them. It breaks my heart to think my dad is out there somewhere not being found.”

Ms Duff said: “I have three children now and one more child in April, and my dad never knew them. They’ll never know their grandad.

“My children will now have to be told about my dad and what happened to him one day. So it carries on: the heartbreak carries on through life.”

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Investigating missing person reports is one of the most complex areas of policing and we know that behind every case is a concerned family who are desperate for answers about their loved one’s whereabouts.

“After Robert Duff was initially reported missing in January 2013 we carried out a number of enquiries, including CCTV checks and public appeals for information. Despite this, officers were unable to locate him and found no evidence to help them work out what had happened to Robert.

“The investigation into his disappearance continues and we are committed to finding him. Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command will continue to update Robert’s family with any key developments.”

• Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to call the incident room on 0208 358 0200 or dial 101. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.