The family of a three-year-old British girl who disappeared on an Australian beach 55 years ago are set to reveal the identity of a man suspected of her abduction and murder.

Cops say that Cheryl Grimmer was taken from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong, Australia, in 1970. But despite decades of investigation, no one has ever been convicted.

A man, known only as Mercury, was charged in 2017 after a historic police confession surfaced. However, his 2019 trial collapsed when a judge ruled that the confession he gave as a teenager could not be used as evidence.

He now denies any wrongdoing in Cheryl’s disappearance. His identity has been sealed as he was a minor at the time of his arrest.

But a politician has offered to reveal his name under parliamentary privilege. It comes after her family are asking authorities for a fresh probe into her disappearance.

Today, Cheryl’s brother, Ricky Nash, told journalists: ‘[Mercury] has got until Wednesday night.’

Jeremy Buckingham, a New South Wales lawmaker who has been assisting the family, has said he would name the suspect at the next parliamentary sitting on Thursday.

Cheryl’s brother wants the man to explain how he knew key information in his confession and to confirm whether they were true or not.

The little girl had been spending the day at the beach with her family on January 12, 1970. They had migrated from Bristol to Australia under the Ten Pound Poms scheme.

Cheryl's family are demanding answers more than 55 years after she disappeared from an Australian beach. They have now threatened to unveil the identity of a man who was arrested on suspicion of her abduction
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Cheryl’s family are demanding answers more than 55 years after she disappeared from an Australian beach. They have now threatened to unveil the identity of a man who was arrested on suspicion of her abduction

After police came across a confession, they charged the man, only known as Mercury, but a court said the evidence was not admissible in court
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After police came across a confession, they charged the man, only known as Mercury, but a court said the evidence was not admissible in court

As the family were preparing to leave the beach, Cheryl ran and laughed into the women’s changing rooms and would not come out.

Too shy to enter to retrieve her, her older brother, Nash, went to call their mother to help get her out.

But when he returned with her just 90 seconds later, Cheryl was nowhere to be found.

Despite a massive search, Cheryl was never found, and the case went cold. But in 2017, it received a fresh boost after cops located a sensational confession a teenage boy made to investigators in 1971.

It led to Mercury’s arrest, but the case fell apart when a judge ruled that the confession was not admissible in court.

But today, the girl’s family issued a lengthy statement that detailed what they believe were failings and delays by the authorities.

They believe this includes the fact that cops went public with a ransom note that demanded $10,000 in exchange for the girl.

At the time, investigators appealed for anyone who recognised the handwriting in the note to come forward.

It read: ‘We’ve made various requests to NSW authorities for a fresh prosecution or a fresh inquest but to no avail.

‘We feel that we have been fobbed off numerous times by the police, saying that they’re conducting reviews of the case or exploring leads that make no sense to us.

‘The incompetence and negligence in the NSW police investigation of this case over much of the past 55 years is unfathomable.’

Cheryl was snatched outside this shower block at Fairy Meadow Beach in January 1970. She was left alone for less than two minutes
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Cheryl was snatched outside this shower block at Fairy Meadow Beach in January 1970. She was left alone for less than two minutes

Her brother, Ricki Nash, told reporters that the suspect had until Wednesday night to reveal how he knew details in his confession
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Her brother, Ricki Nash, told reporters that the suspect had until Wednesday night to reveal how he knew details in his confession

Cheryl ran into a women's changing room during a day out at the beach. When Nash returned just 90 seconds later with their mother, she was nowhere to be found
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Cheryl ran into a women’s changing room during a day out at the beach. When Nash returned just 90 seconds later with their mother, she was nowhere to be found

However, police have rejected the criticisms and say they are still chasing every possible lead.

They also said that a cash reward of A$1million is still available for anyone who provides information that would help them crack the case.

In a statement, officials said: ‘Police continue to examine every line of inquiry and search for answers into Cheryl’s death.’

After a BBC podcast was aired in 2022, the details of two potential witnesses were passed on to investigators.

However, Cheryl’s family were dealt a fresh blow when they were told a review of the case, which had spun four years, failed to provide any evidence that would lead to a conviction.

Police made the conclusion, even though the two witnesses who came forward were never officially interviewed.

Earlier this month, Cheryl’s family joined volunteers and cadaver dogs to search an area they believed could hold fresh clues about her disappearance.

But after police subsequently scoured the area, they told the family that only animal bones had been found.

Cheryl's family have accused police of several failings and delays. They believe investigators going public with a ransom note demanding $10,000 for her release, was a mistake
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Cheryl’s family have accused police of several failings and delays. They believe investigators going public with a ransom note demanding $10,000 for her release, was a mistake

Cheryl's family have launched a fresh campaign to find evidence of what happened to her
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Cheryl’s family have launched a fresh campaign to find evidence of what happened to her

Cheryl’s relatives have said they do not agree with cops and say volunteers are working in the area today to collect soil samples that will be sent to the United Kingdom and the United States for tests.

The campaign to find out what happened to Cheryl has led the NSW parliament to announce an inquiry into long-term missing persons cases.

The probe will look into how cases were handled and determine what could be learned from any failings.