RICHEY MANIC FILE STAYS OPEN

Missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist RICHEY EDWARDS will not be declared dead on February 1, despite it being the seventh anniversary of his disappearance, NME.COM can reveal.

Speculation has been growing that the case on Richey, would finally be closed on the seventh anniversary of his death, when it only then becomes legally possible. Missing persons can officially declared dead after seven years if no body has been found and there have been no confirmed sightings of them.

However, it's the family of the missing person who make the decision - and it's unlikely that parents Graham and Sherry and sister Rachel will give up hope that Richey will return alive one day.

PC Chris Coleman, who was in charge of Richey Edwards' missing person case until last week, told NME.COM that there were still too many questions unanswered about the guitarist's disappearance.

He said: "It's totally up to his family, and usually, that's only if people want to get access to his bank accounts and personal things like that.

"But even though there have been no new supposed sightings for years, I think the family will just want the file to be kept open on Richey as a missing person. If any leads come in then, they will be followed up."

For the full story, see this week's NME, which is out in London now, and nationwide tomorrow (January 23).