The family of a couple who vanished four months ago while house hunting in Spain say they believe English holidaymakers interviewed by police could offer vital clues.

Spanish police believe Anthony and Linda O'Malley, from Llangollen, north Wales, went missing on 13 September after seeing English property agent Joanne Miles, who is the last person to have reported seeing them.

The couple were last seen in Benidorm

North Wales Police have interviewed a British couple who were with Ms Miles in Benidorm when she bumped into the O'Malleys - possibly a week earlier on 6 September.

Bernard O'Malley says if the latest development is true, it could explain the mysterious lack of information about his brother and sister-in-law's movements from 6-13 September last year.

Anthony and Linda O'Malley's movements in Spain:

August 31 - Couple fly from Manchester to Malaga September 1 - Couple meet Joanne Miles about properties September 2 - O'Malleys go with Ms Miles to open Spanish bank account September 8-13 - Unusual credit card activity by couple begins September 13 - Ms Miles claims to see couple in Malaga, the day they were due to fly home

The family is convinced the huge level of spending during that week and the absence of a phone call home were completely out of character for the couple, who are originally from Liverpool.

In all, �20,000 of the couple's money was spent in stores and withdrawn from cashpoints round southern Spain.

Bernard O'Malley said none of the credit card receipts show the couple staying in a hotel or eating at local restaurants during the week leading up to 13 September, when they were due to fly home to the UK.

Mr O'Malley said he had spoken with Ms Miles on Tuesday and said she seemed certain the English couple were indeed with her at the time she bumped into Anthony and Linda near the Hotel Amelia in Malaga.

"Joanne says she was dealing with the other couple. She got up and walked away from them to talk to Linda," said Bernard.

It was only after we did a timeline and put all the information together that we realised nothing made sense Bernard O'Malley, missing man's brother

"Police officers went to see this couple on Monday and at first, they discounted them as the couple Joanne had seen.

"But I have been talking to Joanne again and she is more or less convinced it was them and is convinced then it would have been the 6 September."

He added: "It puts into doubt everything that has been thought of so far.

The O'Malleys live in Llangollen

"It was only after we did a timeline and put all the information together that we realised nothing made sense."

A North Wales Police spokeswoman said there had been no official updates on the case but she added officers were in "constant contact" with their Spanish counterparts.

In an effort to keep up the momentum by Spanish Police to find the couple, the family has also lobbied MPs and the Foreign Office.

After months without any information about the couple's whereabouts, Linda and Anthony O'Malley's relatives remain uncertain about how and why they disappeared.

"It is very difficult for the family when there is nothing happening. It still feels sometimes like it is not real - it is hard to prepare yourself for something like this."