1975 'seaside riddle' - husband arrested

Philip Nettleton12 April 2012

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife and two children - 26 years after they vanished, it emerged today.

John Allen, 67, was arrested in Bournemouth and questioned by police following the disappearance of his family from their home in Salcombe, Devon, in May, 1975. He was released on bail and will return for further questioning in January.

The disappearance of Pat Allen, 39, and her son Jonathan, seven, and daughter Victoria, five, known as the Seaside Riddle, sparked a huge manhunt but they were never found.

Mr Allen's arrest came after the case was re-investigated this year as a matter of routine by Devon and Cornwall police.

At the time of his family's disappearance Mr Allen did not immediately go to the police. He said his wife had walked out on him, returning two evenings later to collect her clothes and the children. He had not reported her missing because she said she was going to America, he said. Mrs Allen made no further contact with relatives or friends and did not use her bank account.

Mr Allen - whose real name is Anthony E John Angel - has always proclaimed his innocence. In 1975 he was having an affair with Eunice Chapman.

She said then: "I thought he [Mr Allen] was gorgeous and I couldn't understand all the gossip. I think he eventually got bored with our relationship."

Mr Allen said at the time: "I have a good job and a nice flat. What did I want to get rid of them for?"

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