POLICE have revealed that they did arrest a man in connection with the disappearance five years ago of missing Walmer mother Debbie Griggs.

This week - the fifth anniversary of Debbie's disappearance - police have admitted that they made an arrest two and a half years ago but the Crown Prosecution Service decided that there was no reasonable chance of conviction.

They have not revealed the identity of the man arrested.

Debbie was 34 when she went missing from her home in Cross Road on May 5, 1999. She was the mother of three boys who are now are now 11, nine and six, and was four and a half months pregnant.

Her white Peugeot 309 car was found abandoned at The Shrubbery in Walmer a week after she disappeared.

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Chief Inspector Dean Barnes, said: "Late in 2002 a man was arrested but not charged. A file went to the CPS and while they praised the police for the thoroughness of the investigation they decided there would not be a reasonable prospect of a conviction in court."

Det Ch Insp Barnes added that despite a new appeal for information last year no new lines of inquiry have been open to them. He said that he spent some time going over the case in detail last summer at the home of Debbie's mother, Patricia Cameron.

He added that Mrs Cameron was told that the police would pursue any new leads but she would not be contacted until such leads occurred.

"Mrs Cameron and the rest of the family have our deepest sympathy and I would urge anyone with information to contact us," he said.

Anyone with information can call police on 01622 690690 and ask for the major crime unit.

Debbie's husband Andrew has started a new life with his three sons and parents in Dorset.

It's five years since Walmer mum Debbie Griggs disappeared without a trace.

* Next week the battle to find out the truth about Debbie's disapppearnce will be stepped up with an appeal on national television. Debbie's mother, Patricia Cameron, hopes that appearing on a daytime talk show will help her get to the bottom of what happened.

KM-fm's Nadia Jean has more...