Katrice Lee's father: 'I've believed she was abducted since day one'

The father of missing Katrice Lee says he wants the investigation into her disappearance to go viral, as he continues to search for answers.

Richard Lee’s daughter vanished on her second birthday on November 28, 1981, on the outskirts of Paderborn - near the British military base in Germany where Mr Lee was stationed.

Mr Lee said the panic parents feel when they lose sight of their child and have their hearts in their mouth has never left him for 37 years.

He said: “Look at me as a father, looking for his daughter.

"I’m trying to do a job as best I can with the tools that are available.”

The Royal Military Police have now ended a search of Paderborn’s Alme river and say it turned up no new leads on what happened to Katrice.

Royal Military Police say bone fragments were found during the search, but that they are not believed to be from a child of Katrice Lee's age.

Excavation of the river bank started in early May and was scheduled to take five weeks, but the military said investigators were able to conclude work faster than planned.

Mr Lee has always believed his daughter was abducted.

Speaking to Forces News, Mr Lee said: “What they’ve now done is cleared another area, another avenue that they pointed could be a possibility. And, ofcourse, now with all those theories – call it what you will – what theory have they got left?

“There’s only one and that to me springs forward and it’s front runner in any race – that Katrice was abducted, she was taken as a surrogate child.

“For me this is glass half-full. It confirms my family’s belief and strengthens my family’s belief.”

Mr Lee said he now wants to see the investigation go worldwide.