AN ABERGAVENNY father is facing the second anniversary of his daughter's disappearance - and is no nearer to finding out what has happened to her.

It is a year since a murder hunt was launched in Germany in a bid to find out what happened to missing Louise Kerton.

But, says her Abergavenny-born father Philip, the authorities are no closer to solving the mystery.

Louise was 24 and had been been staying with her fiance Peter Simon near Cologne when she went missing on July 30, 2001. She had been due to catch a train to return to Britain - she never arrived.

Her father Philip, 58, believes Louise is dead and spent a year lobbying Ger-man police to open a murder investigation. That happened a year ago, but Mr Kerton, his wife Kath and Louise's two brothers and two sisters have heard little.

Mr Kerton, who now lives in Kent, said: "It has been hard for us to find out just what the German authorities are do-ing. They only communicate with other police forces and we just have to guess what they are up to by what information they ask the British police to check for them.

"From time to time there will be a review meeting but the last one was five or six months ago.

"Even the British Consul in Dusseldorf was told it was a police matter and they would only talk to police about it.

"I've written to the German ambassador and I got a letter from him on Saturday saying the matter is still being taken seriously. It makes you very angry and frustrated. I know a great many avenues have been investigated but they've not come up with any solutions.

"There has been a German TV Crimewatch-style show which caused a great deal of interest, and they did something a few weeks ago to remind people the police are still following this up and appealing for information.

"It is being kept alive but there's not any concrete news so we're still living in this state of uncertainty, hopefulness and occasional depression. The family has had great moral support from the Nat-ional Missing Persons Help-line."

The anniversary of Louise's disappearance on Wednesday will be difficult for the family, Mr Kerton said.

He added: "Louise is certainly more in our thoughts at this time of year, but we don't make a particular effort to mark the anniversary. We try to have as normal a day as possible."