The Mysterious Disappearance That Baffled a Community
On 29 May 2020, a quiet and unassuming shop worker from Bradford completed his regular shift and stepped out into the afternoon air, never to be seen again for five long years. Ismail Ali, a 46-year-old employee at Gulam Food Stores on Cumberland Road, left work at 3pm wearing his characteristic red hoodie, black trousers and dark shoes, then seemingly evaporated from existence.
The disappearance of this familiar local figure, known for his polite and helpful nature, left neighbours and colleagues completely bewildered. Having worked at the same store for 22 years, Ali was deeply woven into the fabric of the Lidget Green community. As one local shopkeeper told Yorkshire Live: "Everyone says he was a good man and they don't know why he went away. Everyone knows him, no-one has seen him."
From Missing Person to Murder Investigation
For years, West Yorkshire Police circulated repeated appeals featuring Ali's image and CCTV stills, but no credible sightings emerged. The case grew colder with each passing month, with most residents assuming the worst had happened. Then on Monday 17 November 2025, the investigation took a dramatic turn that appeared to confirm everyone's darkest fears.
Police conducted coordinated raids on homes at Beckside Road and Cumberland Road, arresting five people - three women aged 47, 54 and 55, and two men aged 27 and 51. The police publicly shifted their approach from a missing person case to a probable homicide. Detective Inspector Tom Hilyer stated unequivocally: "After extensive enquiries we now suspect that Ismail Ali is no longer alive, and we suspect that he may have been murdered."
The same day, funeral prayers were shared online after Janaza Announcements posted regarding Ali's presumed death, seemingly closing this tragic chapter.
The Incredible Return and Community Reaction
Just two days later, on Wednesday 19 November, the entire narrative collapsed when Ismail Ali walked into a West Yorkshire police station alive and well. Police immediately notified his family and placed him under safeguarding while conducting welfare checks and interviews.
The community reaction shifted from grief to utter astonishment. Local resident Haroon expressed the collective confusion: "We all want to know where he has been for five years. It puzzles me. How has he survived? What has he done for money?" Another local, Shajhait Khan, said he "burst out laughing" upon hearing the news, calling Ali the "invisible man" and describing him as "one of the best people you could ever meet... too helpful."
Some locals quietly mentioned that Ali had been dealing with family issues before disappearing and rumors suggested he might have been living elsewhere in the UK, possibly working in southern England for at least part of that period.
Police Investigation Takes New Direction
The five individuals arrested earlier in the week were subsequently released on bail, not for murder but for money laundering offences, after police seized large amounts of cash during searches of three properties. West Yorkshire Police confirmed that enquiries would continue into the money laundering allegations.
Meanwhile, detectives are now focused on interviewing Ali, reconstructing his movements since 2020, and determining whether any crime occurred at all. The central mystery remains unresolved: Where was Ismail Ali for five years? Who, if anyone, maintained contact with him during his absence? And what prompted his sudden reappearance now?
The most striking aspect of this extraordinary case remains how ordinary the beginning was - a man finishes his shift, steps out into the late-May air, and then disappears from public view for half a decade. The people of Lidget Green continue processing this unbelievable turn of events - curious, fascinated, unsettled, but above all, grateful that a man they thought was dead is very much alive.
