Family's hope for hurricane dad

The family spend every evening making hourly calls to the US

A man last heard of when he went out to clear debris in the build-up to Hurricane Katrina is one of 96 Britons still missing in the US.

William McQueen's family, from Maidstone, Kent, have spent each evening calling Louisiana in vain.

On Wednesday, Susan McQueen appeared on BBC TV with her daughters to appeal for news of her husband, known as Forest.

"We just have to keep hoping that we will hear, that it will be good news, and people will be safe," she said.

The last time Mrs McQueen spoke to her estranged husband was two weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

Telephones are ringing, but nobody is answering. You wonder if it's ringing in an empty house Susan McQueen

On the morning of the storm, she telephoned his brother Stephen in Abita Springs, where Mr McQueen was living.

"He was working a 24-hour shift helping to clear up some debris from the winds - we haven't heard anything since," she said.

Mrs McQueen said she and her daughters watch the news every morning and evening and desperately try telephone numbers for other relatives in the area.

"When we first started calling, the automated message would come on from Louisiana saying all the lines were down because of the hurricane.

"Now telephones are ringing, but nobody is answering.

Back to school

"You wonder if it's ringing in an empty house."

She said Mr McQueen was living on the North Shore which she thought was safe from flooding - until she saw pictures of Lake Pontchartrain Causeway which connects Abita Springs with New Orleans.

"Even on the North Shore houses have been destroyed by the force of the wind rather than the flooding," she said.

"Most people I know are in Louisiana. I can't call people in different states and ask them to try to contact him.

Aerial TV pictures showed the extent of the destruction

"Until all the lines are back up and running, I don't think there is anything else I can do."

Rebecca, 13, and Samantha, 11, have both gone back to school this week.

"It felt really weird telling people I don't know where he is and how I'm feeling," Samantha said.

Rebecca said: "I want to go out there and help people find him."

A total of 96 Britons are still unaccounted for, according to the latest figures from the Foreign Office.