KATRICE Lee was last seen in Paderborn, West Germany, on November 28, 1981.
The two-year-old, born in a British Army hospital, was the daughter of a sergeant major in The King’s Royal Hussars and vanished on a trip to a nearby army NAAFI shopping complex with her mum and aunt.
READ MORE: Swindon police make arrest over disappearance of missing toddler Katrice Lee
Katrice Lee Picture: PA WIRE
Her mum, Sharon, had put her down as she sorted shopping by the checkout. She turned back to the shelves to get some crisps. Katrice was alone for a matter of seconds – but it was during this short period she disappeared.
Katrice as she might have looked aged 28 Picture: PA WIRE
In 2017, police released an e-fit image of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the girl's suspected abduction. An eyewitness was said to have seen a man carrying a small child into a green saloon car.
An e-fit released by Royal Military Police in 2017 Picture: MOD/PA WIRE
A year later, officers excavated a Paderborn riverbank but found no trace of the girl.
READ MORE: Katrice's dad says family has been to hell and back
In May this year, sister Natasha, now 44, spoke to The Sun newspaper about the impact of Katrice's disappearance.
Soldiers excavate a Paderborn riverbank in 2018 Picture: AP
“My dad came home and told me they couldn’t find Katrice but I couldn’t comprehend it at the time," she said.
“I remember looking at my mum and she was just screaming and screaming and I realised then something was seriously wrong."
Earlier this month, a woman was due before Wirral magistrates charged with impersonating Katrice on social media.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here