New witness saw couple feared missing in Spain

A witness has come forward in the search for a British couple who failed to return home two weeks ago after a house-hunting visit to Spain. An estate agent saw Linda and Anthony O'Malley at a hotel in Benidorm on 12 September, eight days after the last confirmed sighting. The agent said Mrs O'Malley appeared in good spirits.

The couple had met the agent on 3 September when they talked about buying a property for £20,000. They became interested in a property in Villajoyosa, a small town south of Benidorm, and opened a Spanish bank account.

They arranged to visit the estate agent again on 17 September so he could show them the house, four days after they were expected to fly home, but they failed to show up.

Police are concerned about their whereabouts because enough money to buy a house has been withdrawn from the couple's joint account in various parts of Spain and their credit cards have been used. Their hire car, a blue Fiat Stylo, registration 8588 BTP, which was due to be returned on 12 September, is also missing.

North Wales police are trying to trace holidaymakers who might have met the couple in coastal resorts, including Malaga, Benidorm, Alicante and Valencia. Detective Inspector Nick Crabtree is also hoping that an audit trail of spending in Spain may provide some clues about the couple, from Llangollen, north Wales.

Their last contact with family and friends was on 4 September, when Mrs O'Malley, 55, a store manager, telephoned her daughter, Jenny Stewart, to remind her to send a card to a relative. Ms Stewart said her mother sounded "her usual self", saying she and her husband had already viewed some properties in Spain but were still looking.

Mrs O'Malley did not telephone again as promised, and Mr O'Malley, 42, a car dealer, has not answered calls to his mobile phone.

Mr Crabtree said he was working with his Spanish counterparts, Interpol and the National Criminal Intelligence Service in an effort to trace the O'Malleys, who have been married for 15 years. "We are working on a lot of inquiries and mindful not to let our imaginations run wild. We have got a picture emerging that they visited coastal resorts but we are aware they did like the quiet life and it may be in the country that they were thinking of purchasing a property," he said.