Mother of missing Brit hiker Esther Dingley talks for the first time

The mother of the missing Brit hiker Esther Dingley has spoken for the first time since her daughter went missing in the Pyrenees in November.

Brit hiker Esther’s mum Ria Bryant aged 74, has moved to Spain to the village of Benasque. This is the village where Esther stayed before she disappeared in the Pyrenees on November 22 between France and Spain.

Seven months after Esther’s disappearance the search is still on and boyfriend Dan Colegate, aged 38, is still searching for his girlfriend of 20 years.

Ria spoke to the Sunday Times and told of how living in the village is “painful” for her. “I find it quite painful being here.

“I do not seem to be able to sleep but I want to go to the place where they find her,” Ria said.

When the search first started Ria did not feel that she was strong enough to join Dan. Earlier this year Ria said: ‘Each day has been nothing short of an excruciating hell for me, balancing on the edge of breaking down.

‘Not knowing where she is or what has happened to our beautiful Esther is destroying me and our family.’

Dan has posted on Facebook and said: ‘I have continued to search these past months as well, zig-zagging across the mountainsides surrounding Esther’s last known location and her known route.

‘I’ve walked about 700 miles now and also found no sign of her. I will continue to expand my search in the weeks and months ahead.’

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