IT WAS a celebration to mark the end of the golfing season - a trip James Nutley had made with his family many times.

The 25-year-old went to Tenby with 16 friends for a weekend break last October.

It was the last time his mum Catherine, 52, dad Jeffrey, 58, and sister, Helen, 23, saw him.

At midnight on October 24, James left friends at a pub to make his way back to his hotel. The weather was horrendous with gale force winds. He never arrived.

His friends reported him missing - and someone had to break the news to his parents.

Mrs Nutley said: "I was working overtime in the village bank. I was leaving at 7pm and my sister came in and the first words she said were that James was missing.

"We got in the car and went straight home. I remember seeing Jeffrey smoking and he was supposed to be giving up. He looked awful.

"I grabbed some clothes. My daughter, Helen and brother-in-law, Councillor James Harris came with me and we drove to Tenby.

"The drive down was terrible, I was just looking out the window feeling blank and I could not believe it.

"We went straight to Tenby police station and waited to see the inspector," she said.

"The inspector went through what had happened - we started looking for him straight away."

The family gave police statements and were booked into a hotel.

"They wanted to know everything, what he was like, his medical records and any past girlfriends," she said.

"Helen remembered to bring a picture, she was brilliant throughout the interviews.

"I had to rack my brain for information about him from the time he was born until now. It took four long hours and it was hard."

Mr Nutley said: "We always thought we would bump into him and that he was always around the next corner, but we never did.

"We didn't sleep, couldn't eat for those first days and it was Catherine's birthday on the Tuesday."

A large-scale police search with dogs was carried out. Helicopters with heat-seeking cameras, abseilers and the coastguard were all used in the hunt for James.

Days later his driving licence, National Insurance card and several other cards were found on the beach - but there was nothing to indicate that they had been washed up.

Mrs Nutley said: "The police said that the spot was notorious for thieves throwing away unwanted cards."

But despite public appeals for help, the trail went cold.

"There is nothing left for the police to do now," Mrs Nutley said. "They have searched every avenue.

"The coastguard said a body would come back in three to five days, but nothing has been washed up, nothing has appeared not even a shoe."

Since then, the uncertainty has been eating away at the family.

Mrs Nutley said: "Not knowing is the worst part about it, we need some sort of closure."

The family will return to Tenby in the next couple of weeks when police release CCTV footage of James in the town.

"We insist on watching the CCTV which the police still have," said Mr Nutley.

"The CCTV didn't work in the last pub James was in, but we saw an image of James from another pub and he looked happy.

"I think if he was around somewhere he would have contacted us. It's a mystery and not knowing is the worst part."

The family say they have received huge support from people in Tenby and police.

Mrs Nutley said: "Everyone has been great, people back home and in Tenby where there were loads of posters for James."

James's parents have thought of many things which may have happened to their son.

Mrs Nutley said: "I would like to think he fell over, knocked his head and doesn't know where he is or what he is doing.

"Christmas was terrible, I thought we would cope but Helen kept thinking that he was coming through the door."

Mr Nutley said: "It was not very festive at all, we didn't send Christmas cards but we had a pile delivered.