Parents and friends of a student who died on a clubbing night out have vowed to continue their support for a national missing person's helpline rescued from the threat of collapse.

The UK's only charity dedicated to searching for missing people faced closure earlier this week until the Home Office stepped in to give a £300,000 Government cash boost.

The National Missing Person's Helpline, set up in 1992 after estate agent Suzy Lamplugh vanished, offered its help to Bradford couple Ann and Michael Plunkett when their 21-year-old son David went missing last year.

David, who lived with them in Shelf, was found drowned in the Manchester Ship Canal two weeks after he disappeared after a dance event on the Trafford industrial estate.

Following David's disappearance, the Plunketts were contacted by a volunteer for the missing person's helpline.

"We were lucky in that the circumstances of David's disappearance generated a lot of public interest which helped generate publicity but there must be a lot of people who are less fortunate - whose children, partners or parents just vanish out of the blue and need all the help they can get," said Mrs Plunkett.

"At least we knew where David had been. For those who have no idea where their loved ones are it must be heart-breaking. For them the national missing person's helpline is a crucial service and it must continue.

"I'm sad the helpline needs to rely so much on charitable donations to survive but I'm delighted the Government saved the day, so they should."

Earlier this month David's dad was one of 76 brave fundraisers who scaled Bradford Central Library at a charity abseil which last year had been organised by his son.

This year's event was organised in his memory by his friends from Leeds Met University, where he had been studying Event Management.

David's friend and one of the event organisers Karl Dunbar said the abseil had raised more than £4,000 for the Lord Mayor's Appeal and the National Missing Person's helpline.

He said he hoped the abseil would now become an annual event, possibly over two whole days, and pledged it would

continue to support both

charities.

David's parents are now bracing themselves for the resumption of David's inquest on April 28 - one year to the day his body was discovered.

An earlier inquest was adjourned after hearing that David was ejected from the Budweiser King of Clubs event by doormen. On the night he had spoken to his mother on his mobile phone in a distressing call in which he was heard howling.

The coroner demanded that the dance event organisers should attend on April 28 to answer questions on care, first aid and safety.

The National Missing Person's Helpline can be contacted on 0500 700 700.