THE family of a Caldicot man who mysteriously disappeared more than a year ago say they are hoping a bone found on a Pembrokeshire beach is not his.

The shocked family were dealt a second blow by hearing out about the find via a report in the media.

Speaking candidly to the Free Press this week, mother Catherine Nutley told of the family's hope for James' return and dismay about the way they heard about the shocking discovery.

She said: "We are still hoping James will be found safe. We wouldn't have known anything about the discovery if it hadn't been for our friend who heard it reported on a Pembrokeshire radio station. The police hadn't told us anything."

Catherine's son James, then 25, went missing on October 24, 2004, after a night out during a golfing trip with friends in Tenby. He disappeared after leaving a club just five minutes' walk from the hotel where he was staying. Since then, family and friends have been campaigning to raise awareness of James' disappearance, never giving up hope he will return safely to the home he shared with his mother and his father, Jeff and sister Helen.

Dyfed-Powys Police have said there was a possibility the arm bone, which was found on Cefn Sidan beach in Carmarthenshire, on November 13, could belong to James. They say the bone belonged to an adult between 20 and 50.

DNA testing is already under way and is expected to take around six weeks, but Mrs Nutley says she fears their wait may be even longer. "They discovered the bone two weeks ago, that leaves another four weeks, when it will be Christmas and then the New Year. It could be ages before we get the result."

It is a particularly hard time for Mrs Nutley and her family at the moment as her mother recently lost her battle with cancer.

"It has been an awful time for us lately with losing my mother, and now this discovery. It's all a bit much," she continued.

"This Christmas is going to be hard, We are in limbo at the moment until we get the results of the DNA results.

"We raised around £8,500 at recent golf day collecting money for the James Nutley campaign, but there's no point in doing anything with it until we know the DNA results. If it does turn out to be James, the money will to other charities."