Esther Dingley: Missing hiker 'taken against will'

Esther Dingley was a "highly intelligent and experienced hiker" according to her partner Dan Colegate

A British hiker who went missing in the Pyrenees in November was taken "against her will", her partner has said.

Dan Colegate said he cannot believe anything but the "terrifying prospect" that "somebody else was involved" in the disappearance of Esther Dingley.

Ms Dingley, 37, was on a solo trek from Pic de Sauvegarde near the French-Spanish border on 22 November when she last communicated with her partner.

Extensive searches of the area have found no trace of her.

French and Spanish police investigating her disappearance have said they are open to all options, including "non-accidental".

Esther Dingley sent this photo of herself at the top of a mountain on 22 November

In a post on the couple's Facebook page, Mr Colegate dismissed speculation that she voluntarily disappeared because she was unhappy in their relationship as "salacious nonsense".

He said the couple, who were living in Durham before heading off on a six year-long campervan adventure, had purposely built an "unconventional lifestyle" which, like any relationship, had its tensions, but they were both happy with.

He also said as a "highly intelligent and experienced hiker" who has seen search operations in action, the "idea she would trigger that and put others at risk to get some time alone rather than simply say 'I need some time alone' is ridiculous to me".

Mr Colegate said if she had been injured in the mountains he is sure she would have been found by the searchers.

"All of which leads me to believe that somebody else has been involved in Esther's disappearance and against her will," he said.

"This is a terrifying prospect and I wish I could believe otherwise, but I cannot.

"A happy, experienced, well-equipped and fit young woman went missing in an area with clear paths and mostly open terrain.

"An intensive search found no sign of her, or any of her equipment. It is as though she vanished into thin air."

The couple's 19th anniversary together is in two weeks

Mr Colegate, who is currently in France, said he plans to return to the area as soon as he is allowed to resume the search.

"All that matters to me and Esther's parents is finding her," he said.

"We all still hold on to the thin hope that she might still come back to us safely.

"Her face appears to me all the time, whether or not I am occupied with other things.

"For almost two decades now we have shared almost everything, building a life together that was occasionally challenging but mostly full of joy and love.

"Without Esther, I cannot imagine my life ever having meaning again."