Who is Alex Sloley and what happened to him? Four new details about the baffling missing person case uncovered
A new clue has come to light which may solve the mystery of missing teen Alex Sloley, who vanished almost 16 years ago.
Alex, a bright maths student studying accountancy, vanished from north London on August 2, 2008 - just days before his 17th birthday.
The investigation into his disappearance, dubbed one of Britain's most baffling missing persons cases, has stumped cops, with no trace of Alex having ever been found.
Now, startling new claims have been made by friends who allege Alex was involved in low-level drug dealing, something his family deny - and that he could have been murdered in a gangland hit.
'It sounds more likely that he has been murdered than running away,' one friend said.
Alexander Sloley was 16 years old when he disappeared from Islington in February of 2008
Alex is pictured as a boy with his younger sister, Latina and his mother, Nerissa Tivy
Alex family and friends are seen during an anniversary event to mark his disappearance
The claims were made as part of a Channel 5 documentary into the disappearance called Vanished: The Search for Britain's Missing, first broadcast online in April - with a new TV show on the mystery being staged tonight.
On the day Alex had disappeared, he had gone to stay with friends, in Edmonton, in north London when he vanished.
When he didn't return to his home in Islington on his 17th birthday, or for his mother Nerissa Tivy's 40th birthday, he was reported missing to police.
However, Alex's friend, who was supposedly the last person who saw him, rubbished this story - and instead claimed the teen was elsewhere in London.
Alex is pictured as a young boy - and his family is still looking for answers into his disappearance
'Basically, while we were growing up we would sell drugs,' the man told the Channel 5 documentary.
'One of the places that we was regular in was Ilford, Barking area. People have seen him and there's been sightings and that's where we think he was.'
And another friend sensationally said Alex had been dealing drugs at the time of his disappearance - and feared he could have been murdered.
'I can't lie, as quiet as he was, he did want to make money but it wasn't like the county line like what they talk about now - it was nothing like that. It was us as mates, let's do this, let's make money,' the man said.
He added he spoke to Alex on the phone and claimed he had had gone to a local drugs den dubbed 'The Base' to collect £1,500.
Friends claim this is when he vanished.
Alex's heartbroken mother Nerissa insisted her son was not involved in drugs and that he never had the money to buy expensive clothing or designer gear.
Alex's heartbroken mother Nerissa (pictured) insisted her son was not involved in drugs
Friends claim Alex had been heading to a house belonging to a known drug dealer before he vanished
Alex's disappearance has been dubbed one of Britain's most baffling missing persons cases
But retired detective Mick Neville, who worked for the Metropolitan Police, felt the teen's disappearance had the tell-tale signs of something sinister having happened.
The former cop claimed something 'dreadful' might have happened to him and said 'ruthless' county lines drugs gangs may have 'murdered' Alex.
'Very very few people just vanish,' added Mr Neville. 'There are cases where people just disappear. They're murdered and the county lines is a very ruthless organisation. If they feel that you've wronged them, they will kill you.'
Alex is pictured with his mother, Nerissa
The Met Police is still investigating the disappearance and is treating it as a missing persons investigation.
Detective Constable Tom Boon, from the Central North Command Unit's Missing Person Unit, said: 'The hope is he is safe and well and somehow has managed to stay off the radar in terms of using bank accounts, passports, that sort of thing.
'As time goes on it becomes more and more concerning, although there's no proof of harm.'
A number of police appeals have been issued - with officers even using computer tech to release a digitally-aged photo of what Alex could look like now.
It shows him sporting a fluffy beard, with flecks of grey hair in it, and glasses.
But the investigation still appears to be at a standstill after almost 16 years.
And as the mystery deepened over the years, a number of theories have come to light in a bid to explain what might happened.
There was speculation by the retired head of the Met's Central Images Unit that there could be a link between Alex's disappearance and that of another teenager, Andrew Gosden.
A number of police appeals have been issued - with officers even using computer tech to release a digitally aged photo of what Alex could look like now
Retired detective Mick Neville (pictured), who worked for the Metropolitan Police, felt the teen's disappearance had the tell-tale signs of something sinister having happened
There was speculation by the retired head of the Met's Central Images Unit that there could be a link between Alex's disappearance and that of another teenager, Andrew Gosden (pictured)
He went missing in 2007 after travelling to London from Doncaster, aged 14 - amid fears he had been sold into a sex gang.
Another theory claimed the 16-year-old had become 'radicalised' and sent abroad by a terror group.
But Mr Neville was not convinced by this and said: 'As far as radicalisation goes, I would be surprised because I'm sure the counter-terrorism squad would have information - and if you do become radicalised, you don't want to keep it a secret. You want to tell the world.'
He continued: 'It would seem that something awful has happened to him and somebody has made efforts to conceal him.'
Alex's sister Latina (pictured) was just five when her big brother vanished
Alex's sister Latina was just five when he disappeared and was close to her big brother. She is still hopeful her sibling will one day walk through the door.
Speaking about her brother's disappearance on Vanished: The Search for Britain's Missing, she said: 'London can be a very cruel place. You can be wrong place at the wrong time.
'I do believe that my brother would be someone that, if he was around still, would come back.
'In 15 years, so much has happened. He's an uncle; his dad's passed away; I've gone to university - there are so many milestones that he would have come back at least once for.
'So I do believe that something happened to him.'
- Vanished: The Search for Britain's Missing is a live studio discussion programme on Channel 5 and will air tonight at 7pm. It will also be available to watch on the catch-up service My5 afterwards.
