THE tenth anniversary of the disappearance of Keith Mangan has brought the missing backpacker into the centre of the media spotlight again.

But Keith's troubled parents, Charles and Mavis Mangan, do not need an anniversary to bring back thoughts of their beloved son.

Not a day has gone by when they have not thought about their electrician son, who was 35 when he was snatched at gunpoint on July 4, 1995, while trekking in the Himalayan foothills with his wife, Julie.

Despite a high-profile campaign to find out what happened to him, Mr Mangan, from Middlesbrough, has never been traced - nor his body found.

"We know it is ten years since he went missing," said Mr Mangan, 70. "We keep our hopes up every day, but it does not get any easier with time.

"It is ten years, but we remember him every single day.

"We are just waiting for some news, one way or another. We still have no answers. We are no further forward."

Mr and Mrs Mangan, who live in Brookfield, Middlesbrough, were planning a low-key day yesterday to mark the anniversary.

They said they may visit a bench at Natures World at Sandy Flatts Farm, close to their home, which was placed there in their son's memory, but said they visited it regularly anyway.

"We are doing nothing special today," he said. "We just think of Keith - we don't want fuss.

"We are just trying to get on with our lives," he added.

Extremist group Al Faran has claimed responsibility for the abduction of Mr Mangan.

He was held with Paul Wells, from Lancashire, American Donald Hutchings and German Dirk Hasert.

Norwegian Hans Christian Ostro, who was also taken by the terrorist group, was later beheaded and his mutilated body discovered in a remote Kashmiri forest.

And in 2000, DNA tests proved that remains found in a shallow grave were those of photography student Mr Wells.

But Mr Mangan has never been found, although photographs of him, apparently wounded, were released by his kidnappers.

Mr Mangan believes that evidence showing what happened to his son will be discovered at some time, but said the waiting was frustrating.

He believes people cannot simply vanish without anyone knowing, and believes that one day the family will be provided with answers.

However, in the meantime, information has not been forthcoming.

"The Foreign Office has not rang for long enough," he said.

"It must have been two years since we heard from them. We know no more now than we did before."

The family of Keith's wife, Julie, said she did not wish to speak to the media about the anniversary and just wished to get on with her life.

The Foreign Office were not able to comment yesterday on the disappearance of Mr Mangan.