“We have lived with this nightmare for over eight years... we do not have any closure and it’s difficult to move on with our lives this way.”

Those were words of an Oxford family who last night pleaded for help to find the body of their son.

Jonathan Dolton, 20, who grew up in North Hinksey, disappeared from his Milton Keynes home on February 24, 2002, and was never seen again.

In December 2004, Stewart Martin, Mr Dolton’s landlord and former colleague, was convicted of his manslaughter at Reading Crown Court, but cleared of murder.

Mr Dolton’s parents Sheila and Alan, who still live in Stanley Close, North Hinksey, have never been able to bury their son, because his body was not found.

Martin, who was given a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, died from a heart attack at a Portsmouth hospital in June, after being released from jail on licence.

Mr and Mrs Dolton said: “We are here to make a heartfelt appeal to those friends, family and associates of Stewart Martin to help us find our son’s body and finally let us lay him to rest.

“We have lived with this nightmare for over eight years, not knowing what happened to our son and we have never been able to grieve properly.”

IT expert Mr Dolton, a former Matthew Arnold School pupil, was 17 when he moved to Milton Keynes, where he began a business called Extreme PCs.

The day before he disappeared, he had spent the day at the Science Museum in London with his father.

His family added: “We feel like we are letting our son down by not finding him.

“He is still out there somewhere. All we want is to bring him home, so he is back with the people that love him, not lying alone somewhere in a cold unmarked grave. Our son deserves better than this.

“And we want more than anything for someone to tell us where our son could be. We just feel we can’t leave this search for the next generation of our family.”

Mrs Dolton sent letters to Martin while he was in prison asking him where her son’s body was. However, Martin refused to receive them.

The couple added: “It’s been a long time, over eight years now.

“Someone is out there who could end our suffering.

“Perhaps he said something to you?

“We know some of you may be suffering with his loss, but if you can, please help to return our son to us.”

  • Anyone with information should call Milton Keynes police station on 08458 505505 or the confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.