THE FAMILY of a missing Gwent man feared the worst when police began an excavation close to a Newport cemetery and are pleading for people to put an end to their suffering.

Last week, Gwent Police cordoned off a section of Newport’s Christchurch Cemetery to conduct an investigation into ‘unauthorised use’ of the land. There were no graves in the area, but the force carried out a ‘sensitive’ excavation for the object they found.

Gwent Police confirmed that it was not a criminal investigation and today said that the object found was compact soil, rubble and rocks. This leaves the family of missing Newbridge man Kyle Vaughan back at square one.

“I was stressed when I heard there was an excavation going on,” said Mr Vaughan’s dad Alan. “I didn’t know if it was related to Kyle or not. No one said anything to me.”

With speculation growing on social media and concern with what was happening, Mr Vaughan contacted the police who then assured him that the investigation at the cemetery was not in relation to the ongoing murder investigation into the disappearance of his son almost a decade ago.

It leaves Mr Vaughan back appealing for someone to come forward with crucial information that could end almost nine and a half years of suffering he and his family and friends have gone through.

Mr Vaughan’s son Kyle was last seen on December 30, 2012, on the A467 between Risca and Crosskeys by undertakers after his silver Peugeot car had crashed around 11.45pm. He had been on his way back to a party after visiting friends.

Kyle was 24 at the time of his disappearance and needed regular insulin injections for his diabetes. The missing persons inquiry quickly turned into a murder investigation with eight people arrested in connection with the case in January 2013 – four of them on suspicion of murder, with the remaining four on suspicion of assisting an offender or on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. All were later released on bail.

Mr Vaughan and his family and friends have never given up, with constant appeals in the media, on social media and on television throughout the last nine years. “I just want justice for Kyle and for Mary,” Mr Vaughan said, referencing his late wife who died in 2018 not knowing what happened to her son.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Nicky Brain, Gwent Police’s head of crime, said: “Our investigation into what happened to Kyle that night in December remains very much active. Nine years on, we remain in regular contact with Kyle’s family.

“Any information we receive from members of the public is recorded and investigated by officers on our major incident team.

“This has obviously been an extensive enquiry. To date; 40 areas have been searched, in excess of 200 people interviewed, more than 180 intelligence logs submitted and nearly 900 witness statements taken.

“Unfortunately, though, we still don’t have the answers we need and Kyle’s family so desperately want.

“We’re still keen to receive any information that may assist our enquiries, however minor you may feel it is.”

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Gwent Police on 101 and quote the log number 397 30/12/12.

Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.