Warner-Falzon: Nice day for wet wedding

Dave Warner and Candice Falzon on their wedding day. Source: Supplied

CRICKET world champion David Warner has tied the knot with partner Candice Falzon at an intimate ceremony in the south coast countryside.

After a twelve-month engagement, the birth of his daughter and winning the World Cup, the explosive opening batsman finally wed his love at a picturesque country estate, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Up to 100 family and friends joined the couple over the Easter long weekend at Terrara House near Berry in NSW.

International cricketers Peter Siddle and Moises Henriques were on hand to support their team mate.

Dave Warner and Candice Falzon having their wedding photo's taken. Source: Supplied

Friends and family shelter from the rain while waiting for buses to take them to the wedding location. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: News Corp Australia

Candice Falzon and David Warner with Peter Siddle and his wife Anna Weatherlake in a post from Instagram. Source: Instagram

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LIVE: Bombers on top, Myers injured

AFL: Essendon's Adam Cooney has launched a massive torpedo fater the quarter-time siren in his side's round one clash with Sydney.

Jobe Watson gets his handball away at ANZ Stadium. Picture:Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

ESSENDON holds a comfortable 22-point halftime lead over Sydney at ANZ Stadium, but lost wingman David Myers with a shoulder injury.

The Bombers got off to a perfect start when Joe Daniher kicked the opening goal of the match, but Myers was winged in a collision with Kurt Tippett at the next centre bounce.

Sydney didn't kick its first goal until midway through the second quarter and trails 1.7 (13) to 5.5 (35) at the long break.

The Bombers led by 26 points at quarter time thanks to a 55m torpedo after the siren from Adam Cooney.

Ben Howlett was subbed into the game for Myers.

Earlier, Melbourne's youngsters and new recruits starred as Melbourne withheld a mini-Gold Coast fightback to secure the club's first Round 1 win in 10 years.

FOR FULL LIVE HQ COVERAGE WITH SUPERCOACH SCORES CLICK ON THE GAME IN THE SCORE CENTRE ABOVE OR HERE IF YOU ARE ON A MOBILE DEVICE

Later this evening, Brisbane recruit Dayne Beams faces his old side Collingwood, while Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge makes his senior coaching debut against the West Coast Eagles.

Today's AFL games (all times AEDT) ...

1.40pm: Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns (MCG)

4.35pm: Sydney Swans v Essendon (ANZ Stadium)

7.20pm: Brisbane Lions v Collingwood (Gabba)

7.20pm: Western Bulldogs v West Coast Eagles (Etihad Stadium)

Originally published as LIVE: Bombers on top, Myers injured

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Two flights struck by lightning

This image captures the moment a plane is hit by lightning. Pic: Youtube Source: Supplied

THIS is the moment not one, but two planes were caught on camera as they were struck by lightning.

Owen Craft posted this extraordinary video on Youtube capturing the incredible moments near SeaTacAirport last week.

Seconds later, another plane is hit. Pic: Youtube Source: Supplied

Mr Craft was near the University of Washington filming the weather when two jets in a row were hit by lightning storm reports q13fox.com.

"It was crazy," he told Eastidahonews.com

"I'd been outside for about 15 minutes, and I hadn't seen anything, but I thought something could happen. And then suddenly, right as a plane went overhead, it got struck."

But planes are built to take storm strikes.

"Airplanes themselves are prepared for this kind of stuff and have the mechanics to manage lightning strikes," Sea-Tac Airport public relations manager Perry Cooper told ABC News.

But it doesn't make it any less terrifying to see the pictures.

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Teen was allegedly tortured

Billy-Anne Huxham's kidnap ordeal is over. Source: Supplied

POLICE have arrested a man who allegedly abducted his teen girlfriend at knifepoint from her Queensland home.

Billy-Anne Huxham managed to escape her alleged abductor, Carl Garry Chapman, on the Sunshine Coast last night, The Courier-Mail reports.

It's understood she fled to a local restaurant where she called her parents, who then contacted police.

Police arrested Chapman, 32, charging him with multiple offences including torture, deprivation of liberty, breaking into a house, stealing and weapons offences.

Ms Huxham is understood to have minor injuries after Chapman allegedly broke into a house she was staying in with a machete on Tuesday morning. Police warned he was armed, after viewing CCTV which allegedly showed him with a firearm.

Chapman is due to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court tomorrow morning.

Earlier, desperate friends pleaded for her safe return, posting messages on Facebook to stay safe: "Can't believe what I'm seeing" and "Come back home safely".

Billy-Anne Huxham managed to escape her alleged abductor Source: Supplied

Anxious friends have been posting messages to Billy-Anne Huxham's Facebook page. Source: Supplied

Carl Garry Chapman, 32. Source: News Corp Australia

Billy-Anne Huxham is understood to have suffered minor injuries. Source: Supplied

According to the Tweed Daily News, one friend wrote "Can't believe what I'm hearing and seeing. I know you're a staunch b**ch and would put up a fight no matter what but my girl please just come back home safely."

Another wrote: "Time to pull your head in woman and get out of that ... scene! Get home safely".

The Caboolture home where the attack took place. Source: News Corp Australia

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Pete Evans loses another lucrative deal

Paleo guru and My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans. Photo: Luke Marsden. Source: News Corp Australia

PALEO crusader Pete Evans has been dropped as a celebrity ambassador for popular salad chain Sumo Salad.

Sumo Salad's Head of Marketing, Petra Orrenius told news.com.au Evans' two-year contract expired this month.

"We had a really good collaboration and we made the decision a really long time ago that we wouldn't renew the contract, because he's been with us for so long."

The move comes just weeks after Evans' publisher Pan Macmillan said they would no longer publish his baby paleo cookbook, Bubba Yum Yum: For new mums, babies and toddlers,after health experts raised concerns it could harm children.

Evans and his co-authors, blogger Charlotte Carr and naturopath Helen Padarin, will self-publish a digital version of the book.

The My Kitchen Rules star is also reportedly "on thin ice" with Channel Seven executives and could be at risk of losing his job after a series of controversies. Evans is a vocal opponent of the fluoridation of drinking water.

Ms Orrenius denied the decision to drop Evans was influenced by these events.

"I think often when you're trying to make a difference you have to be a bit radical and stand out. We've always been very supportive of Pete and we're happy with that," she said.

One of the co-authors of Bubba Yum Yum, Charlotte Carr, came under fire this week for her work as a freelance voiceover artist in advertisements for Cadbury, Coca Cola and KFC.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Carr said she doesn't necessarily endorse the products she spruiks.

"I am a working mother and like everyone else, will do everything I can to keep my family safe and nurtured,' Ms Carr said.

"If I'm telling you through advertising on television or radio to buy a certain car, or catch a certain airline, or use a certain toothbrush, I may not drive that certain car, or use that airline or use that toothbrush."

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Are our cars about to get much cheaper?

Idealogically the Harper Review will encourage more competition across broad swathes of the economy, if the politicians let it through.

The government could make cars a whole lot cheaper with one simple act. So why won't they do it? Source: Supplied

A NEW report has revealed how the federal government could make cars a whole lot cheaper with one simple act.

The Harper Review, which examined Australia's competition policies, is the latest piece of research to recommended the removal of restrictions on parallel imports on second-hand cars.

The removal of the restrictions would mean that cars coming into the Australian market would no longer be controlled by multinational motor companies, which would allow consumers to buy vehicles from independent dealers. The likely result is new and used cars would flood the market, making them a whole lot cheaper for Australian consumers.

The restrictions against parallel imports were originally implemented to protect jobs and local industry. However, with the domestic car manufacturing industry set to cease production in 2017, many believe there is no reason to leave the restrictions in place.

The Harper Review, which was released on Tuesday, is not the first to endorse the idea and is actually the latest in a string of like-minded recommendations, including the 2014 Productivity Commission's review.

At the moment, a consumer seeking to buy a new car must approach a dealer, which then buys a car from a national distributor that sources cars from global headquarters or overseas factories. The second-hand car trade within Australia exists solely from this arrangement.

Those advocating the removal say we should follow in the footsteps of New Zealand, which did away with the regulation 27 years ago. Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association of New Zealand chief executive David Vinsen believes it is the best course of action.

Speaking to ABC radio this morning, he was adamant that allowing parallel imports would benefit the Australian public.

"Australians are paying too much for cars because of unnecessary protections which were originally designed to protect the multinational manufacturers," he said.

Mr Vinsen said the change in policy would mean cheaper prices and more choice for consumers.

Luxury cars are subject to considerable taxes in Australia. Source: News Corp Australia

The regulatory regime that governs importing luxury cars also makes these vehicles far more expensive in Australia than in many of our overseas counterparts.

We pay more for brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and Ferrari than we otherwise would, due to strict regulations and taxes.

The US, for example, has car prices well below Australia. A Porsche 911 Carrera S sells for roughly $180,000 in Australia while costing $A105,000 in the US.

Conversely, when Holden exported its Commodore SS to the US as the Pontiac G8 GT in 2013, it cost about $10,000 less than the $55,290 price tag in Australia.

The 2014 Review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act said "if restrictions were removed [on parallel imports], the price of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class would fall by between $20,000 and $25,000 in Australia."

The bottom line is Australians are getting less bang for their buck with motor vehicles. But despite repeated calls for parallel imports to be allowed, the government and some within the industry don't want to see it happen.

New Zealand lifted restrictions 27 years ago, but the Australian Government is reluctant to follow suit. Source: AP

In the wake of the Productivity Commission's review, the Australian Government said the country would not become "a dumping ground" for used cars.

People opposed to parallel imports say the practice could expose Australians to unsafe vehicles, criminal activity and less consumer protection.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive officer Tony Webber says opening our borders would severely diminish safety standards and vehicle quality.

While many people uphold New Zealand as a perfect example of why we should remove the restrictions, he says the economics is not so definitive.

"We have done independent analysis that shows used car prices are more expensive in New Zealand than they are in Australia," he told ABC Radio.

His main concern is the added difficulty in maintenance, warranties and potential recalls that could arise from independent imports.

Mr Webber said the major car companies' position was about "protecting the consumer."

But James Goodwin, the acting chief executive of the Australian Automobile Association completely rejects the notion, calling the growing pressure a "wake up call" for car brands and dealers.

The AAA is not involved in lobbying for the removal of the restrictions but said the increased price Australians pay for many cars is "unjust."

"We are confident that there would be no decline in safety," he told news.com.au.

"Few people in Australia can say they are absolutely happy with the car buying experience in Australia ... and we need to ensure there is strong competition in the marketplace," he said.

The Toyota FT-86 II concept car is displayed on the booth of Japanese car maker Toyota during a preparation day before the opening of the international car show IAA in Frankfurt, western Germany. Source: AFP

Despite the finding from the Harper Review, the government has made no indication it will act upon the suggestion.

"It is my understanding that used vehicles is off the agenda off the government," Mr Webber said. "The reality is, if you were to introduce a scheme, you would need a whole raft of compliance to make it work … and I don't see that happening in the current environment."

However, with the disappearance of domestic car manufacturing, the role of the parallel import restrictions is likely to be viewed with increasing scepticism by future governments.

But for now, at least, we will have to wait for cheaper cars.

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Is this the next Holden Commodore?

Television commercial for the original legendary Aussie panel van, the Sandman.

Speculation it is the 2018 Holden Commodore ... The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu unveiled at the New York Auto Show. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE new Chevrolet Malibu unveiled at the New York Auto Show has internet forums buzzing with speculation that it's a pointer to the next Holden Commodore.

However, well placed sources have told News Corp Australia that Holden is still on track to source the Commodore's replacement from another part of the General Motors world: the Opel brand in Germany.

The new Chevrolet Malibu is about the same size as the Holden Commodore's successor, and shares the same sleek hoop-shaped roof and sports-sedan design.

Unveiled at the New York Auto Show ... The new Chevrolet Malibu 2016. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

But the similarities end there, even though more than half of Holden's current line-up is shared with Chevrolet vehicles.

When contacted for this story Holden refused to comment on the first ever imported Commodore due in 2018.

However, the new Commodore is widely tipped to be front-wheel-drive like a Toyota Camry, not rear-wheel-drive as with every large Holden sedan since the first model in 1948.

First imported Holden Commodore to be an Opel Insignia ... Speculation rife that the Chevrolet Malibu 2016 is a pointer to the 2018 Commodore. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The new Commodore will do more than share its DNA with the next generation Opel Insignia, it will in effect be an Opel Insignia with a Holden badge, albeit with Australian input.

Holden is on the record as stating that about one-in-three of all its future vehicles will be sourced from Opel in Germany.

When the Opel Insignia eventually replaces the homegrown hero, it means the Commodore will have come full circle.

The first Commodore sold in 1978 was a derivative of Opel's European family sedan at the time.

The Australian-made Commodore is due to reach the end of the line in late 2017.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

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The $100K job graduates don’t want

The National Security Agency (NSA) is having a tough time getting people to work for them. Source: AFP

THE National Security Agency in the US is facing a new and unforeseen challenge in the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks and it's a very unfamiliar problem for the intelligence agency.

The NSA suffered the biggest security breach in its history when former contractor Edward Snowden stole troves of classified data and leaked it to the press. The documents showed mass spying on US citizens. The public fallout from the revelations has tarnished the image of the agency, and is seriously affecting their ability to recruit college graduates.

Even with the highly patriotic nature of American society, many idealistic graduates are second guessing what otherwise looks like a dream job — despite what would likely be a $A100,000 starting salary.

A report by NPR radio details the difficulties faced by the agency as coveted minds like 22-year-old Daniel Swann, spurn the agency for other opportunities.

He is in his fourth year of a concurrent bachelor's-master's degree in cyber security at Johns Hopkins University and says the Snowden leaks have changed his opinion about working for the government agency.

"When I was a senior in high school I though I would end up working for a defence contractor or the NSA itself. That was actually a big priority for me," he told NPR. But after the revelations of domestic spying he says his mindset has "definitely taken a different turn ... partially for moral reasons."

The NSA is in no danger of being understaffed but the sentiment expressed by Mr. Swann represents a genuine PR problem for the agency.

John Hopkins is a major US university but the information security institute at the college, which specialises in cyber security, will produce just five US born (a requirement to work at the NSA) master's graduates this year. The NSA has 1600 positions to fill.

But while there is a push factor drawing young people away from the NSA, there is also a pull factor leading them to other organisations in the industry.

Snowden has become somewhat of a martyr to a younger generation of libertarians. Source: Supplied

Ever since the leaks, which included the forced complicity of major tech companies, cyber security has been a big focus of silicon valley. In part, because users are becoming more concerned with their privacy. So now the NSA is seeing increased competition in the cyber security market from unlikely companies.

Neal Ziring, an NSA researcher occasionally goes to campuses to recruit and while he admits some students have been "turned off" from the Snowden leaks, he sees a bigger problem.

"I was at a Dartmouth career fair a few months ago," he says, "and our table was right across from Facebook. And we are looking for some of the same things that they are," he says.

This new crop of competitors is likely to hinder the NSA's efforts as they don't have the salary incentives of the likes of Facebook or Google. And it certainly doesn't help that their biggest drawcard has lost some of its lustre.

Matthew Green is a professor of computer science at John Hopkins, and believes the Snowden leaks have changed the way academia views the agency.

"We've learned that they've been collecting this incredible amount of information. And they're not shy about doing whatever they have to do to get access to that information," he told NPR.

He believes the Snowden leaks were an important moment for the industry and feels it's important to teach his student's about them. As Mr. Green admits he feels less friendly to the NSA nowadays, it's not hard to see why student might also.

So for an agency that typically seeks to fly under the radar, they might just have to go on a charm offensive.

The American Civil Liberties Union files a lawsuit on behalf of Wikimedia Foundation and other organizations against the National Security Agency, challenging the government's mass surveillance program. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

NSA may not be as alluring as it once was. Source: AP

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‘Plus size isn’t derogatory, it’s a no-brainer’

Plus size models and real-life couple Jesse McNeely and Laura Wells. Picture: John Appleyard Source: News Corp Australia

PLUS SIZE: It's a term you either love or hate. On one side, you have those who believe it propagates unhealthy living or is denigrating; on the other, you have those who think it's pretty much the only size that should exist.

Even those within the industry argue about its relevance. On the one hand, you have people like Melbourne model Stefania Ferrario, who posted a topless picture of herself captioned "I am a model FULL STOP. Unfortunately in the modelling industry if you're above a US size 4 (Australian size 8) you are considered plus size, and so I'm often labelled a 'plus size' model. I do NOT find this empowering ... Let's have models of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities, and drop the misleading labels. I'm NOT proud to be called 'plus', but I AM proud to be called a 'model', that is my profession!"

Stefania Ferrario Source: Instagram

On the other hand, you have people like Laura Wells, who not only loves the term plus size, but credits her success to it.

"If I wasn't called a 'plus sized model' I wouldn't have a job. There wouldn't be a spot for me in the industry," Wells told news.com.au as she gets ready to board a flight from Sydney to Melbourne for a job.

"That title has empowered me, it has put me in magazines where people can see me, and that wouldn't have happened if the industry had not created that category for people like me, people who are the average size 14. The industry is forging the way for new body shapes and ages and sizes. I get a lot of positive attention from women and men, saying how encouraged they are and how good it is to see me in campaigns or magazines. Without 'plus size' I wouldn't be able to empower anyone because I wouldn't be there in the first place."

The problems begin, according to Wells, when people misinterpret plus size within fashion to be plus size in real life. A size 14 is plus size in the modelling industry because the person is between 3-6 sizes larger than an industry-standard model. In real life, this might be considered an average size, but in fashion, it's just not.

"I've never had a problem with the terminology, because it's an industry term. That's what people have to understand," Wells explains.

"For me, plus size has just been a job title. I've never thought of it as derogatory. What the fashion world deems as plus size is not what plus size is in reality. We know that, and it's important others know that too.

Laura Wells in action. Source: Supplied

"If I stand next to a straight size model, you can see the difference. It's obvious I'm larger than straight size models. Why say otherwise? The fact that we're called plus size may be a point of concern to the outside world, but within the fashion world it is fine, and it's actually empowering. We're on the first stepping stone to having plenty of shoots with models of all different sizes."

Ajay Rochester is a defiant opponent of plus size as a term, last month slamming The Upside for using Wells in its campaign,.

"How the f*** can this woman be considered plus size? Any idea the kind of damage you do to the minds of young girls by even using those words with a picture like this? Where is there PLUS of anything. Anything less of her and she'd be a MINUS something. Seriously this is so ridiculous and harmful! This is not empowering anyone," she tweeted at the time.

But far from shy away from the criticism, Wells confronted it head on.

"Miss Ajay Rochester the campaign, nor I, are not bulls**t, and the fact you would put that out there is not exactly campaigning successfully or positively for body image diversity. It's the first time a regular sized active wear brand had used a plus size model let alone anyone over a size 8AU. We need to stop shaming other people's bodies, be happy that models like me are helping to change the tide of the industry," she said.

"I'm in my seventh year of full time modelling and I've noticed a really big change in the industry," Wells tells news.com.au. "In the last few years especially we've seen a lot more plus size models getting editorial work in European magazines, fashion campaigns, Sports Illustrated spreads … people are really relating to it and loving it, it's refreshing to see different body shapes."

"Look I think anyone with half a brain will see the plus size industry as common sense and a great reflection of society," adds Jesse McNeely, fellow plus size model and fiance to Wells.

"When [Ajay] was criticising Laura, she couldn't care less and neither could I. People do things and say things to get attention, and the plus size 'debate' is an easy target.

"We both get a lot of people saying 'it's about time' when the see us in campaigns, which is cool. A lot of people think, thank God, this puts fashion back into a more realistic realm. We don't let an industry or a label govern how we act or feel."

Jesse McNeely for Johnny Bigg. Source: Supplied

Since entering the modelling world by chance after meeting Wells' agent at a Christmas party (both are now signed to BGM models) McNeely, who comes from an army background, has gone on to star in campaigns for Johnny Bigg and Big W.

"It's a no brainer that there's a market for plus size in Australia. There are larger men in Australia, and not just in terms of fat, in terms of build. It's about time that there's a clothing line that's fashionable for men," he remarks.

"For anyone who takes it too seriously or builds it up into something it's not, I just say, calm down, it's just fashion. I don't consider myself obese or unhealthy or crazy fit. I love my fitness, I've been in the army 12 years, but the whole debate about it has become a bit silly. Plus size as a label sits with me fine. At the end of the day I'm a certain size, like a lot of other people, and if you call that plus size so be it."

McNeely has also starred in an Embody Denim campaign with Wells, an opportunity Wells particularly relished.

"It's great we've been able to work together, and it means he's able to understand more about my full time job and what I've been doing," she says.

"I think it's only positive that we're able to showcase a part of our lives that makes us happy. We are normal people who do normal things. We work out together, and we work out apart as well, it just depends. We have bodies that you don't see in the media every day, but it doesn't mean that we're any less.

"The most important thing is to be happy and healthy, and we are. Your dress size does not dictate your worth. Your personality isn't dictated by your shape. You've just got to stop caring about what other people think."

McNeely and Wells for Embody Denim. Source: Supplied

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Missing teen’s chilling last words

Vanished ... Marion Rees hasn't been seen for 40 years. But could she really be alive? Source: News Corp Australia

THE last words Marion Rees said to her young brother have haunted him for decades. But did they also offer a clue to the mystery that was about to unfold?

It was April 7, 1975 and the then 13-year-old Marion was walking with her eight-year-old brother John to the bus stop in Hillsdale, in Sydney's southwest.

That last morning they spent getting ready for school and then, unusually, they walked to the bus stop together.

It was then she spoke the words he has never forgot.

"Take care of your sister and everything will be all right."

She never made it to Matraville High School that day and hasn't been since. An inquest into her disappearance was held earlier this month and Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund is expected to release her findings today.

When she hadn't arrived home early that evening John asked a neighbour to call their mother Margaret, who was at work at a nursing home.

A frantic search was began and the police were called. But there was no sign of the "happy girl with big red hair".

One of the last ever pictures of Marion Rees, who was 13 when she vanished in 1975. Source: Supplied

Joanne Rees is the younger sister Marion spoke about that morning at the bus stop. The fact the family are no closer to finding the truth is as devastating to her as it is frustrating.

"I'm just completely blown away by it. I don't even know what to say anymore."

Ms Rees told news.com.au the bus stop conversation was puzzling.

"It sounds as if she knew. She must have known something was up."

Ms Rees had been told that Marion suddenly got off the bus, before she got to school. "What did she see out the window that made her get off the bus?"

The night before Marion disappeared, their mother had a strange feeling there was something wrong.

The last words Marion Rees spoke to her younger brother John have haunted him. Source: News Corp Australia

Marion Rees and her siblings, John (left) and Joanne (right) Source: Supplied

Marion Rees' family was "torn apart" after she vanished aged just 13. Source: Supplied

"She felt there was something up with her — that maybe she wanted to tell her something. Those feelings are usually right, aren't they?"

Police have explored a number of theories, including abduction, murder and even that she disappeared deliberately.

Marion had been babysitting for an Eastern European couple who had asked Margaret Rees if Marion could look after their children when they went on a 12-month trip around Australia. Mrs Rees wasn't happy with that arrangement and said no.

The fact the Eastern European couple haven't come forward, even to inquire about Marion at the time she vanished, makes her sister suspicious.

Those suspicions increased after she learned there was a link with that couple to a family friend she had long suspected had something to do with Marion's vanishing act.

"It's a gut feeling I've always had."

As much as she wants her sister to be alive, Ms Rees thinks its far more probable she's dead. "Why wouldn't she get in touch? There is a Facebook page set up looking for her that mentions our Mum has died. It doesn't make sense."

Marion Rees would have turned 54 this year.

Despite her beliefs that it is likely foul play is involved she has no confidence anyone will be ever brought to justice.

John Rees has never given up hope his sister could still be alive. Source: Supplied

Joanne Rees: "Why wouldn't she get in touch?" Source: Supplied

Sergeant Dean Betts thinks there is a chance Marion Rees is still alive. Source: Supplied

"It's just been too long. I mean, everyone [connected to the case] is dead or dying."

Ms Rees said her sisters case was initially dismissed as a "teenage runaway" — and potential evidence was lost forever.

"I'm completely dumbfounded by it. I feel that let my family down, let my sister down ... This has really torn us apart and affected all of our lives."

She has nothing but praise though for Sergeant Dean Betts, who is now the officer in charge of the case.

Sgt Betts told Network Ten's Wanted television show it was possible she was still alive.

"There is a theory that she may have disappeared of her own accord, and there is an angle she may have had some assistance."

Asked for his view on what happened he said: "My own personal opinion is that she has disappeared and she may be still out there somewhere."

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