John's mother, Joan Palmer, and brother Michael Shellhorn, said in a joint statement after the inquest: "John was a well respected man who had settled in Spain with his family.

"He was devoted to his wife and daughter.

"We as a family have had so many questions unanswered over the years and now feel that we have a much better understanding of what happened to John.

"We have tried over the past ten years to come to terms with his disappearance and we are now all trying to rebuild our lives without him.

"It goes without saying we all desperately miss him."