US PRESIDENTIAL candidate John Kerry could be in the running to find some distant relatives in Pembrokeshire.

For it has been revealed that the Vietnam veteran - already known for his family connections with eastern Europe - has descendants much further west.

Research has revealed that seven and eight generations back, Kerry's ancestry touched on Tenby.

And hopes are high that he could even be related to town councillor and former mayor Caroline Thomas - who, by coincidence, has a daughter named Kerri!

Both the senator and Councillor Thomas have descendants named Jenkins in Tenby, and work is now going on to see if their genealogy can be linked.

"It's very exciting," said the mayor, Councillor Sue Lane. "We heard about it when a Tenby resident, Jean Frobel, came across a website listing John Kerry's ancestors, which shows a William and Elizabeth Jenkins, and their daughter Margaret, who emigrated to the United States in the mid-17th century.

"Caroline's family can trace their Jenkins connection back to 1766, but there is a gap of around 90 years between them and the John Kerry Jenkinses," explained Councillor Lane.

"But we are pretty sure they are the same family, as there are a lot of similar Christian names occurring."

She and Councillor Thomas have already visited the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth to investigate the connection further, and have contacted the author of the internet site to see if he can help.

TENBY Town Council is now sending a guide book and a card to Kerry, wishing a 'Tenby boy' every success in the upcoming elections.

"We think it will be nice for him to know where some of his roots began, and it might even encourage more Americans to visit Tenby," said the mayor, Councillor Sue Lane.