A new effort to visualize the appearance of Britain’s longest-missing person has been initiated, marking 67 years since her disappearance. Mary Flanagan’s sudden vanishing at the age of 16, on the day she was expected to attend her employer’s New Year’s Eve party, has puzzled investigators and her family.

Having gone missing on December 31, 1959, Mary Flanagan holds the record for the longest-standing missing person case in the country. Missing People has now launched a renewed campaign almost seven decades after her disappearance.

A current image of Mary, now potentially 83 years old, has been created to depict how she might look today. The portrayal showcases the East London resident with short, grey, curly hair, reminiscent of her hairstyle at the time of her disappearance.

The final sighting of Mary was near West Ham tube station after she left her family residence to go to the party at the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery in Silvertown, London.

During the reopening of the case in 2013, her family speculated that she might have eloped with a man she had been frequently seen with before her disappearance, identified as Tom McGinty, possibly an Irish laborer. Despite efforts by the Metropolitan Police, the suspect remained untraceable, and even his actual identity remained unknown. Mary’s family suggested that she might have fled due to a possible pregnancy at that time.

The family noted the significant challenge of revealing a pregnancy out of wedlock to Catholic parents at just 16 years old. The recent appeal follows what would have been Mary’s 83rd birthday on June 9.

A spokesperson from Missing People remarked, “Mary Flanagan’s birthday is this week. Mary, aged 16, went missing on December 31, 1959, from Newham, London.”

“The image on the left displays an age progression of Mary at 83. Mary, whenever you are ready, we are here for you; to listen, guide you on the support you require, convey a message for you, and ensure your safety.”