Greenham woman tells of ex-husband's disappearance

A GREENHAM woman has told of her struggle after her ex-husband disappeared in South Africa in 1997, presumed dead, leaving the family unable to find closure.
Diane Smith from Chester Close said her ex-husband's disappearance left her without full control over her finances because she has found it hard to get a death certificate under English law.
Mrs Smith is now campaigning
to see a change in the law, such as that in place in Scotland, where a person can be declared dead if missing for more than seven years.
The change in law was proposed by the Government’s Justice Select Committee.
The chairman of the committee, Sir Alan Beith, a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament, said: “[The current law] leaves people in such cases in a very difficult position. Not only can they not sort out their financial affaires, but it also has emotional implications.”
For more on this story, see this week’s edition of the Newbury Weekly News.