BRITAIN/INTERNATIONAL: Police await wife of canoe puzzle man; Fraud suspect appears in court.

Byline: By RACHEL O'BRIEN

POLICE were last night awaiting the return of the wife of back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin as they continued to question him over his disappearance five-and-a-half years ago.

Detectives have until late today to continue to quiz the 57-year-old former teacher about where he has been since he vanished from the Hartlepool area in March 2002.

His wife Anne, 55, who emigrated to Panama six weeks ago, will also be arrested should she return to the UK.

It has been rumoured that she was in Miami with a reporter from a tabloid newspaper, but she has said she plans to come back to face the music and apologise to sons Mark and Anthony, who believed their father died in a canoeing accident.

Initially, she expressed shock at the news her husband had walked into a London police station on Saturday, more than four years after he was officially declared dead, but subsequently admitted a photo which apparently shows them in Panama last year was genuine.

Police took Mr Darwin to court yesterday to ask magistrates in Hartlepool to grant them more time to question him.

Earlier, a police source said the prison officer was sticking to his story that he had no recollection of the missing years.

But later Detective Inspector Andy Greenwood told reporters: "He is putting forward some sort of account."

The police were granted a 36-hour extension to question the suspect.

Mr Greenwood said Mr Darwin was "calm" and "relaxed" during the brief, private court hearing.

The detective said the fraud suspect was aware of coverage the case had generated, and knew of the photograph of him and his wife.

His son Mark, who shared a flat in London, was reported to have left the house suddenly, while his brother has also left home in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Police remain in telephone contact with them, and a source insisted they were being treated as victims of the scam.

Mr Greenwood said: "The press release they gave was an indication of how badly they have been affected.

"It is for me to decide at a later date if they are witnesses."

The sons issued a statement yesterday asking: "How could our mam continue to let us believe our dad had died when he was very much alive?"

Reports suggested former colleagues of Mrs Darwin, a doctor's receptionist, heard her whispering to a man on the telephone who they suspected was her "dead" husband.

They contacted Cleveland Police three months ago.

Officers said they wanted to speak to an angler who claimed to have met John Darwin in Cornwall 18 months ago.

Dockyard worker Matt Autie, 37, said he now recognised his fishing friend as Mr Darwin.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said yesterday officers were trying to trace Mr Autie.

"We would need to speak to him, it is all part of the inquiry" said the police spokesman.

CAPTION(S):

John Darwin leaving Hartlepool court after police were given another 36 hours for his questioning