Have you seen this man?

Simon Knight went out with friends on a Wednesday night in 2005 and never came home.

The 32-year-old chef worked in Newtown and lived with a group of people in Redfern. He rode his pushbike everywhere and was described by his employer as a “good employee who never missed a day’s work”.

Knight, who was openly gay, suffered from depression. He had gone missing on one occasion before, but never for very long.

When his mother hadn’t spoken to him in a few days, she reported his disappearance to police. Knight has not touched his bank account since going missing, and has never been seen since that Wednesday in 2005.

He was six feet tall, had a solid to medium build and blue eyes.

Knight’s story highlighted the importance of Missing Persons Week 2007, which was aimed at informing the public of the link between mental health and missing persons. Missing Persons Unit senior constable Kelly Schofield said Simon Knight’s case was still open.

“A case never closes until we locate a person – we have got cases that are still open from the 1960s,” she said. “Ninety-nine percent of our cases are cleared up annually, so you are looking at 10 or 20 a year that continue to grow and roll over each year.”

Of the 99 percent of people who are located, 70 percent are found within three days and 86 percent within two weeks. And while nearly 10 percent of people reported missing are aged over 60, nearly half reported missing are under the age of 16.

Twenty10 executive officer Meredith Turnbull said the organisation, which is a support service for young gays and lesbians, often finds the young person “after they have done the running”.

“Sydney still receives people from around the country who think Oxford Street and the gay and lesbian community will welcome them with open arms and do nothing but good for them,” she said. “And that is simply not the case. There aren’t enough support services to start with and, if a young person’s first contact with the gay and lesbian community is via the scene, there is not always a positive outcome.”

A lot of young people who contact Twenty10 will be “running from something”, Turnbull said. The reason for the running is never solely homophobia, she said, but the interplay of mental health issues, abuse from the family, and cultural concerns.

Turnbull encouraged community members to communicate with those who appear to be experiencing problems, “even at a pub or a club on a Saturday night”.

“If you see someone, particularly a young person, who for some reason gets you concerned, talk to them,” she said. “Let that person know about Twenty10 for example and how we might be able to help.”

Contact the Families and Friends of Missing Persons Unit on 9374 3023. To contact Twenty10 phone 8594 9555 or email [email protected]. Those over 26 are urged to contact ACON on 9206 2000 or the gay and lesbian counselling service on 8594 9596 or 1800 184 527.