Parents of Matthew Green found in Spain after six years fight to see him

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-36315414

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The parents of a man found alive six years after he disappeared have said their joy turned to frustration after they were told they could not see him.

Self-employed roofer Matthew Green, 26, went missing from his Sittingbourne home in Kent in April 2010.

Pauline and Jim Green said they believed he was found by Spanish street pastors amid concerns for his welfare.

Kent Police said "confidentiality and data protection matters" prevented them from giving any further information.

A statement said they were unable to give "the circumstances of how Mr Green was located, or the exact country in which he was located."

Mr and Mrs Green said all they wanted to do was speak to their son, but data protection laws prevented them from any direct contact.

They were told earlier this month that his name and fingerprints were matched to someone missing in the UK.

"We were lost for words," Mr Green said.

"I so much want to see him... I want to tell him that I love him. I want to tell him that we've missed him desperately," Mrs Green said.

She added that she had written a letter to her son, but the British Consulate was unable to tell her whether it had been passed to him.

"At least if we knew he'd got the letter, we'd know it would be down to him to contact us, but we don't even know that.

"We don't know if he's vulnerable. If he is, then we're his next of kin.

"Is he able to make his own decisions, and if he's not then we should be able to override that," she said.

Mr Green said if their son did not want to see them they would understand, but they just needed contact in the first instance.

"This is just the beginning of the next fight. We will not give up," the couple said.

Kent Police said it had "closed its missing person inquiry as of 16 May 2016".