NORTHWICH man Chris Cook has pledged to continue the search for his missing brother “until his last breath”.

Chris’ was speaking this week on the ninth anniversary of Steven Cook’s disappearance on the Mediterranean island of Crete.

Steven went missing in the coastal resort of Malia on the night of August 31, 2005, and nothing has been heard or seen of him since despite numerous possible sightings since he disappeared.

Chris, 39, from Northwich, spoke to the Guardian about his determination to continue the search for Steven, 10 years his junior, and the impact his disappearance has had on his family.

“It never gets easier, and we all miss him,” said Chris, digital media manager for Newsquest Northwest.

“As another anniversary approaches it is tough emotionally, but you also welcome the fact it is another opportunity for people to be giving information, and it keeps you busy.

“This is something I would not wish on my worst enemy, and you feel the fog coming down a good week before the anniversary, and try and lift yourself through it.

“Our family like to deal with the anniversary in our own different ways, and the easiest thing to do would be to say Steven is dead and there is nothing we can do.

“However I will have a little nephew or niece for him within the next two months, and I’m damned if my newborn child is going to go through all their life without seeing their uncle.”

Chris said his “gut feeling” was that his brother was still alive, and he was determined to continue the appeal for information about Steven, which is publicised through social media and posters at airports including Heraklion on Crete.

“The difficult thing is to keep going rather than saying Steven is dead,” said Chris.

“However I will carry on with the campaign to find him for as long as necessary – until my last breath.

“We all miss him, he’s my brother, and I wouldn’t let him down by giving up. If the boot was on the other foot I know he would do the same.”

The website www.findstevencook.co.uk is dedicated to telling people about the search for Steven and how people can help the campaign who are going on holiday to Crete or know someone who lives there. People can also visit twitter.com/FindSteveCook and facebook.com/groups/findstevencook.

There is a 7,000 Euros reward for information leading to Steven’s recovery.