Nettles Murder Suspects Re-Bailed

Five men arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenager who went missing 15 years ago have been rebailed by police.

The suspects were detained on May 10 by detectives investigating the disappearance of 16-year-old Damien Nettles from the Isle of Wight in 1996.

A Hampshire police spokesman said:

''All five men were rebailed until February 1, 2012, pending further inquiries.

''Detectives continue to follow leads established over the past 18 months about what happened to Damien Nettles in 1996.

''Damien's body has not been located or identified at this time.''

The five men are a 48-year-old from Sandown, Isle of Wight, a 45-year-old from Cowes, Isle of Wight, a 50-year-old from Newport, Isle of Wight, a 37-year-old from Ryde, Isle of Wight, and a 40-year-old man from Gravesend, Kent.

Damien, of Woodvale Road, Gurnard, Isle of Wight, went missing on Saturday November 2, 1996, after a night out with friends.

He was last seen on CCTV footage from a security camera at Yorkie's Chip Shop on Cowes High Street at around 11.45pm.

He has not been seen since despite his family keeping the disappearance in the spotlight over the years.

Following the arrests, officers carried out a search for his body at Dodnor Nature Reserve, near Newport, but nothing was found.

His mother Valerie, 58, who now lives near Dallas in Texas, and his brother and two sisters have ceaselessly campaigned to find out what happened to him.