Abergavenny father: 'Question Madeleine McCann suspect'

Student nurse Louise Kerton, then aged 24, was last seen in Germany in July 2001, where she was supposed to be catching a train from the city of Aachen near the border with Holland and Belgium before taking a ferry to Dover.

Nearly two decades on, her father Phil Kerton, originally from Abergavenny, has said he wants German Police to question Christian Brueckner - who was recently named as a suspect in the case of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who was three years old when she went missing in a Portuguese resort in May 2007 - about the whereabouts of his daughter.

“What I want is for Louise’s name to be put to Mr Brueckner by the German police,” he said.

Louise Kerton, who went missing in July 2001 in the German city of Aachen

“It is important to me that Louise’s name is on the list, we cannot let her name slip through the net.

“I heard Kent Police closed the case from a journalist recently, which I was disappointed by. It is difficult to hear so boldly that the case is no longer being looked into. It is the first time I’ve heard that.”

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But Mr Kerton, who today lives in Kent, said there had been "far too many false dawns to get carried away”.

He added he did not have a specific reason to believe Brueckner may have been involved in his daughter's disappearance, but did not want to miss the chance that he may have information.

Detective Superintendent Paul Fotheringham of Kent Police said: “In 2001, Louise Kerton had been staying in Aachen, Germany and failed to return to her family when expected home.

“The German Authorities asked Kent Police to make a number of enquiries, however, on their completion there were no signs that Louise had travelled back to England.

“Kent Police has not been made aware of any developments in the investigation by the German Authorities and any further enquiries should be made to the Aachen State Prosecutor.”

Louise Kerton (wearing BMX jumper) with her family/Picture: Phil Kerton

Mr Kerton, who has three other daughters, one son, and two grandchildren, and now lives alone, having been widowed 10 years ago, said that he feels “dreadfully sorry for the McCann family” and does not want to divert attention from the new line of enquiry in that case.

“There are certainly parallels between my family and the McCanns,” he said, “particularly the frustration given the amount of police forces involved and the amount of fake information and false hope.”

He said that while he has never given up hope, he feels it has served him well in the years following his daughter's disappearance to “remain realistic”.

"We have had previous cases where someone in the region (where Louise went missing) has been declared a suspect and then nothing comes of it,” he added.

“We never give up hope, hope is a valuable human emotion and has served me very well throughout my life. I’ll keep that with me and take it steadily.”