UK detectives are "gravely concerned" for a British couple who vanished while house hunting in Spain.

Anthony and Linda O'Malley from Denbighshire in north Wales mysteriously disappeared three weeks ago while travelling along the Costa del Sol.

They flew to Malaga from Manchester on August 30 but have not been seen since September 13 - when they were due to fly home.

Enough money for a home was taken from their bank account and lots of "unusual" purchases were made using their credit card up to six days after the flight date.

Police are investigating whether signatures for those purchases were forged - but said they have no reason to believe as much.

Couple's movements:

Aug 30 - Flight from Manchester to Malaga Sep 4 - Linda O'Malley phones daughter in final contact Sep 12 - Hire car not returned to airport as scheduled Sep 13 - O'Malleys fail to show for return flight JMC 11 Sep 23 - Auction for Villajoyosa holiday home unattended

In an emotional Benidorm press conference, Mrs O'Malley's daughter from her first marriage, Nicola Welch, and Mr O'Malley's brother, Bernard, appealed to Spain's expat community to offer any information.

They spoke of the "devastating" effect the disappearance was having on the family's elderly parents.

Flanked by Spanish and Welsh police in a hotel press call organised by expat newspaper The Costa Blanca News, Ms Welch said: "My mother and father loved Spain very much.

"This was where they wanted to retire. They were happy here, they loved it and this is where they wanted to be."

Joanne Miles: 'Couple weren't gullible'

She added: "It is difficult going to the places they have been to, but it is necessary. We have managed to alert the press and we have had a fantastic response from the media. The Spanish people have made us very welcome."

The pair now hope British people living or holidaying in the region may recall sighting the couple.

'Illogical movement'

Married for 15 years, Anthony O'Malley, 42, is a car salesman from Widnes, Cheshire, and Mrs O'Malley, 55, works as a shop manager in Chester, and is originally from Liverpool.

They moved to Llangollen four years ago where they began to dream of buying a property in the Spanish sun.

Finally in September, the couple boarded a plant at Manchester Airport and flew out to Malaga to realise that dream.

The O'Malleys had opened a bank account especially for the venture and were set to bid for an �18,000 villa near Benidorm.

The O'Malleys had visited Benidorm

They hired a blue Fiat Stilo - registration 8588 BTP - and drove 350 miles to Benidorm resort, where they spent a night. They also visited Valencia.

On September 4, during a phone call to daughter Jenny Stewart, Mrs O'Malley "sounded her usual self" - but that was the last ever contact with home.

Cash withdrawn

Seven days later, a large amount of money - enough to buy their dream home - was withdrawn from their account.

And police say "unusual purchases" were made from grocer shops and department stores until September 19.

The pair failed to to make their September 13 flight home and did not return the hire car the previous day as required.

They met Joanne Miles of estate agent Spanish Property Auctions on September 13 and another meeting with Mr O'Malley only was scheduled for four days later.

His wife was to fly home to the UK and return to work.

But neither turned up and Ms Miles said a form required to bid for a reposessed property at fishing port Villajoyosa - between Benidorm and Alicante - was never returned in time for the September 23 auction.

A spokesman for the Benidorm company said the couple had appeared "down to earth and not gullible".

'Grave concern'

Two North Wales Police liaison officers are with Ms Welch of Hampshire and her uncle in Spain.

Speaking at a Wrexham press call Thursday, Detective Superintendendant Alan Jones said the credit card transactions were worrying.

"There are number of scenarios, accidents cannot be discounted but we have grave concerns," he said.

"We have a duty to British nationals missing abroad to investigate their disappearance."