HEARTBROKEN mother Alison Willcox is having her missing husband declared dead, even though she is convinced he is still alive.

Raymond Willcox disappeared in May 1995, leaving his wife and family.

Police and the National Missing Persons Helpline carried out six years of appeals and searches, all without success.

But 54-year-old Mrs Willcox is convinced her husband is living somewhere in Britain.

Despite that, she has decided to declare him dead, so that she can change financial arrangements on the house they shared in Newcastle.

Mrs Willcox said: "I don't want to sound like I'm money-grabbing, but I have to do this because I can't cope with the mortgage repayments."

Mr Willcox, who would be 63 now, was an executive officer at the DSS complex in Longbenton, North Tyneside. He was suffering from depression.