IMAGINE the pain of dealing with the murder or disappearance of a loved one without being offered any explaination as to how or why.

It is the reason why Essex Police have a policy never to close investigations.

It has already led to officers tracking down the body of teenager Dinah McNicol, to the garden of a house in Margate, in November.

They are always keen to hear from anyone with information about any of their unsolved cases, some of which are featured here.

Donna Veasey, spokeswoman for Essex Police, said: "Essex Police never closes a case.

"If a crime remains unsolved, it will be subject to a rigiourous review process periodically.

"This will include looking at original information and any fresh lines of enquiry, making use of any advances in technology and generating new appeals.

"It's never too late for people to come forward with information relating to any crime.

"As well as helping to bring a criminal to justice, it can help to provide closure for the family concerned."

If you have information, call 01268 775533 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111

NICOLA RAY

THE mysterious disappearance of Nicola Ray is now being treated as a murder inquiry by detectives because nothing has been seen or heard of her since the early hours of May 2, 2000.

The 29-year-old mother-of-two left a friend's home in Delvins, Basildon, to go back to her home in Voysey Gardens, Basildon, which she shared with her fiance, who she was due to marry later that year.

Police are convinced she is dead and have searched a house, a lake and areas of open ground.

A 38-year-old man was arrested in February 2001, on suspicion of her murder, but was released without charge. Nicola is described as being 5ft 5ins tall, of medium build, with blue eyes, long fair hair and a pale complexion.

When last seen she was wearing a mini skirt, sleeveless top and was carrying a small blue and white rucksack.

Det Insp Cliff Haines, of Essex Police, said: "If anyone has any information then I urge them to contact us as it may be the crucial missing piece of the jigsaw which surrounds Nicola's disappearance."

CHINA ROSE AND JOHN SIMS

CHINA Rose Sims and her husband John have not been seen since February 14, 1993.

Philippino Mrs Sims, 36, met her husband while he was on a business trip, as a self-employed furniture dealer, and they married in 1988.

Concern for Mrs Sims has grown since she was last seen at a family party on February 14, because she was unhappy with her marriage and wanted to leave her husband.

Her father was in very poor health yet she has not been in touch to check on his progress.

Mrs Sims is 5ft 3ins tall, with black shoulder length hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion. She often wore jewellery, particularly dangly earrings.

Mr Sims was last seen in May 1993 at their home in Lonsdale Road, Southend. A friend, Geoffrey Paston had been asked by Mr Sims to sell the house and furniture and put the proceeds into a bank account in the name of Anthony Peter Lewis.

This alias has been used by Mr Sims in the past and he is known in the Southend area as Tony.

He is described as 5ft 11ins, with short greying receding hair, which may be dyed black.

He has brown eyes, a fresh complexion, is of stocky build and is generally of casual appearance.

ANDREA DALY

POLICE are still baffled as to why arsonists set fire to a Southend home in which Andrea Daly died.

Andrea, 40, died of smoke inhalation in the blaze, which broke out at her mid-terrace house in Rochford Road, on November 10, 2005.

Andrea's sons, aged 17 and 20 at the time, jumped from a first-floor bedroom window.

Their father was working away.

Det Supt John Quin-ton said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who was walking along Rochford Road between 2am and 4am on Thursday morning.

"We are looking to speak with anybody who had a flatmate or loved one return home smelling of a petrol-based inflammable liquid.

"Finally, we want to discover just why anyone would want to burn this house down."

JOHN MARSHALL

THE execution-style murder of Billericay car dealer John Marshall re-mains a mystery as the £5,000 cash he took with him the day he disappeared was left un-touched by his murderers.

The 34-year-old left his home at 10am on May 15, 1996, to finalise a business deal in Kent.

Although his black Range Rover was seen crossing the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at noon, he failed to return home or keep any other appointments that day.

A devoted family man, his disappearance was completely out of character and devastating for his wife Toni and their three children.

Seven days later, on May 22, an officer found Mr Marshall's body under straw in the unlocked boot of his Range Rover, parked in Sydenham, South London.

He had been shot twice in the head and chest, but not with a shotgun.

The Range Rover keys, a grey Head sports bag, two mobile phones and a Patek Philippe 18ct gold watch with a blue face were missing.

RONALD FULLER

LARISSA Tuitt found her boyfriend Ronald Fuller bleeding to death on their front doorstep after he was gunned down by a motorcyclist.

The painter and decorator was shot several times as he left his house in Parkside, Grays, at 7.45am on August 29, 2000.

The murder carries all the hallmarks of a contract-style killing, carried out by a lone motorcyclist, who sped off towards the old A13 via King Edward Drive on a modern, step-through motor scooter displaying L plates.

The year before his death, Mr Fuller had been working as a doorman at Epping Forest Country Club and had been arrested for public order offences following the stabbing of Darren Pearman.

Charges were later dropped and police say there is no apparent link between the incidents.

The gunman was white, slim, had an athletic build and was about 5ft 7ins tall with mousey hair.

He was wearing a black three-quarter length jacket with a built-in belt, probably leather, dark trousers, boots and gloves. His crash helmet was predominantly black with a yellow pattern towards the back.

The scooter numberplate started with W and ended with the letters VMX or a slight variation.

Two men dressed as manual workers, were seen in a van in Parkside in the run-up to the murder.