THE mother of a Scots airman missing for three months fears that her son, whom she described as a “social hand grenade”, could have put himself at risk by getting into a stranger’s car.

Corrie McKeague, 23, was last seen in the early hours of September 24 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He was later reported missing when he failed to turn up at RAF Honington.

His mother Nicola Urquhart conducted a question and answer session on Facebook Live from her home in Dunfermline. It was viewed by more than 33,000 people.

Talking of her son, an RAF gunner who is one of three brothers, Mrs Urquhart said: “He’s not so much a social butterfly, more a social hand grenade who absolutely lives for the moment. He will make choices and decisions that are sometimes reckless that other people might not.

“Would he get into a stranger’s car? Yes. Would he go to a stranger’s house that he’s never met before that he’s met on a social dating site? Yes. He would put himself at risk because Corrie believed he could handle himself.”

During the 90-minute live video call Mrs Urquhart, who has been critical of Suffolk Police’s handling of the search for her son, said a man seen walking along Cornhill Walk in Bury St Edmunds at 3:35 on the morning her son disappeared, had to be identified as a matter of urgency.

She also said three men had set fire to a vehicle not far from the location of her son’s disappearance the following day, which she thought “highly suspicious”. She said it was “imperative” that six more people who have been spotted on CCTV were identified.

She said four vehicles had entered the “horseshoe” area where Mr McKeague was last seen and that she believed one of them did not have a legitimate reason for being there.

The early stages of the investigation focused on roadsides between Bury St Edmunds and Honington, and this was later expanded to surrounding farmland.

Last month Suffolk Constabulary said more than 1,100 hours of CCTV footage had been taken from local authority, business and private individual sources.

It had been systematically studied starting from the last confirmed sighting of McKeague at 3.25am in the Suffolk town’s Brentgovel Street. Specialist CCTV viewers from the Metropolitan Police had also assisted the investigation.

Earlier this month the force released CCTV images of potential witnesses. They all show individuals in Bury St Edmunds town centre between 3.15am and 5.20am who had not been traced.

At the time Detective Superintendent Katie Elliott said: “Despite extensive searches, CCTV viewing, media appeals and many behind-the-scenes inquiries we still do not have a lead which takes us forward.

“Many theories are being explored and work is ongoing to trace everyone who was in the area around the key time as they may have information that may help.”

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Constabulary said there had been no major developments since, but inquiries would continue.

Mr McKeague’s grandparents have pledged a “five-figure reward” for information leading to his safe return.

Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign to hire a private investigator to help the search exceeded its £20,000 target in less than two days.

The JustGiving page was set up by Cheryl Hickman, who runs the Suffolk hotel where Mrs Urquhart had been staying after her son went missing.

Mrs Urquhart had previously said she had “no faith” the police would find him, questioning the money and manpower the force was committing to the search.

However she later said there had been a breakdown in communication, and acknowledged officers were doing their best.