Merseyside man arrested on suspicion of murder after father and son disappear in Spain

Daniel Poole and his son Liam were last seen in Malaga in 2019

A Merseyside man has been arrested by police investigating the disappearance of a father and son who disappeared in Spain five years ago. Daniel Poole and his son Liam, both from Sussex, traveled to Malaga in 2019, where they were last seen.

In 2022, the decision was made by Sussex Police to treat their disappearance as a homicide investigation. Today (Wednesday 4 November) the force confirmed it had arrested two men following enquiries.

A man in his 30s from West Sussex and another man in his 40s from the Merseyside area were both arrested on suspicion of the murders of Danny and Liam. They have been questioned and released under investigation pending further inquiries.

READ MORE: Several streets blocked off after ‘shooting’READ MORE: Scrambler bike seized by police

Detectives are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the case and the force is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and charge of anyone responsible for Danny and Liam’s disappearance. Detective Inspector Simon Dunn said: “Although Danny and Liam disappeared in Spain, we believe there are people in the UK who may hold vital information about their disappearance.

“We understand that there may be some who have felt unable to come forward until now, but it’s not too late to do the right thing. Whether it’s something you know or something you may have subsequently heard , we encourage you to get in touch and share it with us, we will listen and we will explore any viable new lines of inquiry.

“You may not understand the importance of the information you have, but it could be the piece of the puzzle we need to build the picture of what happened to Danny and Liam. Even the smallest detail can be important to help us give their families the answers they so desperately need and deserve.”

Danny and Liam, from Burgess Hill, hired a car – a gray Peugeot 308 with registration 0254 KTM – when they arrived in Spain on March 31, 2019. However, the vehicle was never returned to the car hire company and was later found abandoned by Spanish police. The couple’s luggage was left at their hotel along with their passports, suggesting this was not a planned disappearance.

Spanish police were leading the investigation and Surrey and Sussex Police’s Major Crime Team worked closely with them to try and find 46-year-old Danny and 22-year-old Liam. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance remained under close review and a decision to treat their disappearance as a homicide investigation was made by Sussex Police in 2022.

Legal steps have now been taken to allow the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team to lead the investigation, taking over from Spanish police. Danny and Liam’s families have been updated and reiterated the force’s appeals for anyone with information to come forward.

Information can be passed to the police directly via the online Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) You can also call 101 quoting Operation Pheasant, or report anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.