The mother of a boy who disappeared 20-years-ago on the same date as Madeleine McCann went missing has told for the first time how she believes he drowned after falling into a river.
Daniel Entwistle has not been seen since he failed to return home after going out to play when he was aged seven on May 3, 2003.
His mother Paula Taylor, 50, dismissed rumours that her former husband David Entwistle had harmed their son, despite him having once been jailed for six months for a child sex offence.
Ms Taylor said that she knew nothing about his conviction in 1987 for having sex with a 12-year-old girl until police told her about it after Daniel went missing.
She admitted it was one of the reasons they split up in the weeks after Daniel seemingly vanished.
Daniel Entwistle (pictured) has not been seen since he failed to return home after going out to play when he was aged seven on May 3, 2003
Daniel's mother, Paula Taylor, 50, said she believes he drowned after falling into the River Yare in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (pictured)
Ms Taylor (right) dismissed rumours that her former husband David Entwistle (left) had harmed their son, despite him having once been jailed for six months for a child sex offence
But in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, she said: ‘The last time Daniel was seen he was on his bike and he was on his own. If the police thought David was anything to do with it, he would have been locked up. If you adored this article and you would such as to obtain additional facts pertaining to actual news kindly browse through our web site. '
She is convinced that her much-loved son drowned close to where his red BMX bike was found at Trinity Quay next to the River Yare in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Ms Taylor believes that he fell into the fast-flowing water and was swept away after scaling the 3ft high river wall to stand on top of the wide ledge.
She said: ‘There have been all sorts of rumours and theories - but I am sure that he went into the river.
‘It's not a big mystery.
The police showed me CCTV of him riding his bike across a garage forecourt towards the quay and he didn't come out again. Nobody else was shown going towards the quay so it looks like he was on his own.
‘I think he had gone to the garage because he wanted to buy a Kinder egg and they didn't have any in the shop where he had been earlier.'
Speaking of her agony about his body never being found, she added: ‘You never get closure.
You just have to learn to live with it.
‘The police have to keep an open mind because they have to keep a missing person's case open. I could go to court to say that he's passed away, but I would have to dig everything up again and it is too much hassle.
‘You have to move on and carry on, last news but maybe one day they might find something.