A family are resigned to never seeing their missing father again.

But they "live in hope" said Caron Callaghan, who fears bad news about her cousin Paul Jefferson every time a stranger telephones.

Mr Jefferson, a Bradford father-of-three, has not been seen since February 2001 when he abandoned a tent in which he had been living in woodland near Ponden Reservoir on moorland above Keighley. The 40-year-old jobless window fitter left behind clothing and a hire car.

Police mounted a helicopter search and dispatched divers to probe the reservoir, but found no trace of him.

And despite pleas in the Telegraph & Argus by Mrs Callaghan and Mr Jefferson's three children - Andrew, 22, Toni, 15, and Mick, 17 - he has made no contact with the family since a hand-delivered letter from him was received at their home two years ago.

Probation service worker Mrs Callaghan, of Thornton, said she still lived in hope of seeing him again, but was less optimistic. "My heart's in my mouth every time a stranger rings on the telephone because I think this is it - this is bad news," she said.

"I fear that one day there will be a knock on the door with bad news - I have to accept that.

"I still hope he is alive but the longer it goes on the more I get pessimistic. The thing that worries me is that Paul was so fond of his children I feel that if he was around he would have contacted them."

She had to accept also that as an adult he had the right to decide whether he wanted to contact the family or not.

Mr Jefferson had been living in the tent for several months throughout the winter of 2000 and 2001 before he went missing.

He had previously lived in a house in Foston Lane, Wyke, Bradford.