THE police file surrounding the disappearance of Farnworth schoolgirl Sheila Fox almost 60 years ago has been lost, it has been revealed.

The six-year-old vanished without trace on August 18, 1944, just hours after leaving St James's Primary School, New Bury, to walk home.

Despite an extensive police search, the young girl has never been found.

Her sister Rene, who is suffering from cancer of the lymph glands, is desperate to discover what happened to Sheila.

The original police file outlining details of her disappearance 57 years ago has been lost as a result of police force boundary changes.

Police chiefs have apologised to Rene, Sheila's last surviving relative, but have reassured her that the missing notes have not hampered the investigation.

The back garden of a house in Barton Road, Farnworth, was excavated a year ago after a man claimed he remembered seeing a man digging at the time of her disappearance.

The dig, however, failed to find any trace of the schoolgirl.

Sheila's initial disappearance was investigated by Lancashire Constabulary, which covered Bolton at the time.

Procedure stipulated that unsolved murders were sent to Scotland Yard for review and then storage.

However, her disappearance has always been treated as a "missing from home" because no body has ever been found.

Rene, aged 70, who still lives in Bolton, said: "It is disgusting that the records have been lost because Sheila has never been found so it is still an open case.

"The notes go back a long time and may hold vital clues.

"I am the last remaining member of the family and that makes it even worse because I want to know what happened.

"It is like she is being forgotten because it was such a long time ago.

"I was devastated when nothing was found in the garden last year -- it really raised my hopes."

"The cancer is in remission at the moment but I have to go to the Christie Hospital every two months for a check up.

She added: "All this worry doesn't help. I feel the same way now as I did the day she went missing."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said when fresh information came to light in 2000, Scotland Yard was approached to see if Sheila's file had been passed to them.

"Records showed that it was first stored in Lancashire, then Castle Street police station and then Bolton Central," the spokesman said.

"The file has not been located despite extensive searching.

"We apologise if Sheila's family are upset, but we would like to reassure them that the copies and information found offer more than enough original detail about the investigation. The lack of the original file has in no way hampered our investigation, or diminished our commitment to finding her."

If anyone can help in the search for Sheila, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.