INTERNATIONAL pressure is mounting for a full investigation into a mystery air crash - to end the agony of a local family.

Michael Williams, 49, has been missing, presumed dead, since the plane he was aboard "dropped off" the radar screen during a flight between Tunisia and Malta.

Since news of the crash - on December 3, 1995 - reached his children back home in Leigh, they have been battling to find out the truth about their father's disappearance.

But they still have no exact details of what happened and say they have been unable to come to terms with the situation.

His daughter Julie Jackson, of Lindow Street, said: "We can't grieve because we don't know for absolute certain that he's dead.

"There's been no funeral, no death certificate, and we've not been able to sort out any of his affairs.

"Even now sometimes the phone rings and it clicks like an international call - for a second I expect my dad to be on the line."

Julie and her brother Andrew have both had children since the incident. Julie's son Michael has been named after his grandfather.

Julie added: "We're fighting for information for ourselves and for them. What do we tell them about grandad when they grow up?"

Despite a major air and sea search within hours of the incident no significant wreckage was found. Some time later a very small fragment from the single engine light aircraft was discovered.

Under international law in incidents like this people must be missing for seven years before they are registered dead.

A board of inquiry has already considered some evidence about the incident.

Maltese, Polish and Irish relatives of the pilot and four other passengers are also pushing for information.

The single engine plane is understood to have left Djerba airport later than scheduled after being delayed for a few hours because of stormy weather.

A transcript claimed to be written from the tape recording of the pilot's words has been printed. But Julie believes a full hearing of the tape itself, including background noises, could hold further clues.

She said: "As far as we know there is normal speech of the pilot which suddenly cuts out."

However, there is now a deadlock between the Maltese and Tunisian governments.

Tunisian authorities say a formal request, called a 'commission regetoire', must be made for them to release a tape recording of the pilot's final communication on the airwaves.

But the Maltese say they don't need to do this and the less formal request already made should be good enough.

Now the family's MEP Terry Wynn has stepped in to try and break the deadlock.

Mr Wynn, MEP for Merseyside East and Wigan, said: "It is totally unfair for this family to be put through this. I am doing all I can to exert pressure through Europe to get the tape and more information released."

The Foreign Office is also putting diplomatic pressure on the two governments to co-operate.

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