GERMAN police are now treating the disappearance of an Abergavenny man's daughter as a suspected murder.

The news comes today on the anniversary of the day 24-year-old Louise Kerton (pictured) went missing.

Her family with more than 35 people gathered outside the German Embassy in London yesterday to urge the ambassador Thomas Matussek to act.

Louise, then 24, vanished in Germany after going to catch a train.

She had been staying with her fiance, Peter Simon, 39, in the village of Strassfeld, near Cologne.

Her father, Phil, said the family believe that Louise is dead and is now pleased the police are investigating it as a suspected murder.

He said last night: "We spoke to the ambassador who has children in their 20s, he seems very committed to discover why some of the things in the investigation have gone wrong. "We are always waiting for news but we do not expect to hear from her.

"We are going to spend the anniversary remembering the good times".

He added the family are in trauma as they don't know what happened to Louise.

"We suggest from our experience of the past year, that everyone travelling abroad this summer leaves a message at home to say they do not intend to disappear. he said. "Louise is just one among very many other missing adults in foreign countries.

"Their cases are not readily seriously investigated and routes of liaison with British authorities have to be reinvented each time by diplomats and others".

The private investigator hired by the family, former detective superintendent Bob Moffat, said: "The German police are just giving lip service to the family".

Mr Moffat believes forensic examination and interviews of witnesses have not been conducted properly.

Mr and Mrs Kerton were yesterday joined by their son Simon, 26, and daughters 17-year-old Marie and Angela, 30.

Their other daughter Francesca 28, was unable to attend.

The ambassador, Mr Matussek, said after the meeting: "As a father of two daughters in their early twenties I can feel the pain and I can understand the grief".

He said the Kertons could contact him "day and night" but added that he could not comment on the "substance" of the case.