British trekker found murdered in Nepalese river

A Briton on a trekking holiday in Nepal was murdered and his body dumped in a river.

Tim Prentice, 38, of Bristol, died of multiple injuries caused by a blunt instrument. He was found 50 miles north of the capital Kathmandu, near Syabru Bensi, in the district of Langtang, on 30 March.

His body was in such a poor state that it took nearly a month for Nepalese police to identify him, using dental records and photographs sent from the United Kingdom.

Mr Prentice was on his way back to Kathmandu when, it is believed, he was attacked and robbed. The Foreign Office does not list Nepal among high-risk destinations, but after the killing a spokeswoman warned British nationals against travelling alone in the Rasuwa District of the Langtang Region.

Nepalese police, who have begun a murder investigation, believe that Mr Prentice was killed two days before his body was discovered.

Mr Prentice's body was flown back to Britain at the end of April, and a funeral service was held at the Ivy Pentecostal Church in Bristol. The service was attended by 200 people and £300 was raised in a collection for Amnesty International - Mr Prentice's favourite charity. The Rev Peter Kay, who conducted the service, spoke of Mr Prentice as "a much-loved man".

A spokesman for Mr Prentice's family said yesterday that they did not believe he had been travelling alone, and there may have been a porter with him.