Parents 'left alone' after son's holiday death point to fresh phone data

The parents of a man who died in Benidorm say they have been left alone to try and find out what happened to their son.

Nathan Osman, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was found at the foot of a cliff on the outskirts of the city less than 24 hours after arriving on holiday in September 2024.

According to Spanish police, an investigation into Mr Osman's death is currently underway.

But his family, who believe he was abducted and robbed before his death, say more lines of enquiry are needed around phone data appearing to showing Mr Osman's last moments.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it provided "tailored assistance" in circumstances where British nationals died abroad.

Mr Osman's family have carried out their own investigation after the dad-of-four's death, spurred by their unhappiness with the Spanish authorities.

They believe the welder was abducted while walking alone to his hotel where he was staying with friends, before being robbed and taken to a remote area in the opposite direction where his body was found.

His family have previously said attempts were made to use Nathan's bank card after his body was found, and that his movements would have been captured by CCTV cameras.

They have since received Mr Osman's phone back from Spanish authorities, and say his last movements to the cliff tracked through a health app suggest he was in a vehicle, rather than walking or running.

When asked about the data from Mr Osman's phone, Spanish police said an investigation was currently underway, working with judicial authorities.

Mr Osman's mother, Elizabeth Osman said: "I had a brainwave a couple of months ago when I thought, 'what's happening with Nathan's health app?'

"We thought if he's walked miles at... 04:10 in the morning when he was last seen on CCTV walking on the front, there would've been thousands and thousands of steps captured on his health app to show that he'd walked up to the top of the mountain. But no, there wasn't."

Mrs Osman, who said her son had been "strolling" in a "quite relaxed" manner when he was last seen on CCTV, added the family had "spent the whole year fighting" for information.

Her son had "everything to live for", she said, and had been "so excited" for the last-minute trip away as a break from working two jobs.

Describing going out to Benidorm to search for his son, Mr Osman's father, Jonathan Osman, added: "We didn't even know where our boy was, didn't really know what had happened to him.

"We were just left in limbo."

Police in Benidorm previously said they had closed a homicide investigation, and that Mr Osman's death was being treated as accidental.

Following the first anniversary of Mr Osman's death, his parents are now campaigning for more support for families when a relative dies abroad.

They have launched a petition calling for a formal support framework to "ensure consistent communication for families" and to provide better advice around repatriation procedures.

"Our hearts are in pieces every day," said Mrs Osman. "We get up in the morning and it's a struggle and we don't know how we get from one day to the to the next, but we do it for our children and for our grandchildren. We've got no choice.

"And for the next upcoming year, now, we are hoping that the petition will take off. We will continue helping families."

As they face their second Christmas without their son, Mr Osman's parents say he will always be remembered as "the smiler".

Mrs Osman said: "He was always smiling. He was always happy go lucky. Never, never ever brought us any bother."

An FCDO spokesperson said: "Losing a loved one abroad is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are always with the families who continue to grieve.

"The UK government continue to support British nationals around the world as we travel for work and leisure. We support around 25,000 Brits and their families every year through consular services.

"In circumstances where British nationals die abroad, we support families with tailored assistance."

A spokesperson for South Wales Police said the force was "carrying out enquiries on behalf of HM Coroner and a family liaison officer has been appointed to provide support".