THE sister of a student nurse missing for seven months has said she is almost certain she is dead.

Fran Kerton, a York University lecturer who lives in Fulford, said she expects never to see her sister, Louise, again after she went missing in Germany in July. But she cannot be certain until her body is found.

The family is being increasingly frustrated by the German police force's refusal to treat Louise's disappearance as a criminal case.

"I am 95 per cent certain that I am never going to see Louise again," said Fran who, together with her family, has conducted a tireless search for her 24-year-old sister.

"But I cannot be 100 per cent certain until we find her body or find out what's happened to her. The German police are still treating it as a missing persons case, which means nothing is being done.

"We need to get it upgraded to a criminal case before they take it seriously."

Louise, from Kent, went missing as she made her way back to Britain after visiting the German home of her fiance's family.

But Fran said the disappearance was completely out of character for her.

"We know from her personality that she would have been in touch," she said.

"She told friends that she would send postcards, which never arrived. If she said she was going to send them, she would have."

The Kerton family have had meetings with police from Germany, Belgium and Kent.

German officers did apply to their country's public prosecution service to turn the matter into a criminal investigation, but it was rejected.

The family have also met with foreign office minister Baroness Amos.

Updated: 15:48 Wednesday, March 06, 2002