Holidaymaker found dead in India

A Briton on holiday in India has been found hanged.

Stephen Bennett, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was found in the jungle near the town of Roha on 12 December, the Foreign Office said.

The 40-year-old, who lived alone, is thought to have been on a week-long holiday in India and was due to have returned home before Christmas.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said Mr Bennett's death was being treated as murder by Indian police.

She said: "He was found hanged on 12 December in Roha. Four Indian nationals have been arrested, but I don't know if they've been charged.

'Lovely guy'

"We're providing consular assistance to the family."

Mr Bennett's family, who live in Leckhampton, just outside Cheltenham, said they were too shocked to talk about what had happened.

But neighbours living near Mr Bennett's home in the St Mark's area of the city spoke of their shock at his violent death.

One resident, who asked not to be named said: "It's really shocked everyone. He seemed like a lovely guy but kept himself to himself."

A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Police said: "We have worked with the Indian authorities to inform Stephen's family.

"But we are not going any further than that, the investigation will be carried out by the Indian police."

Charity worker killed

Roha is an industrial town 75 miles (120km) south east of Mumbai, with a population of about 90,000.

It is 20 miles (32km) from the scenic white beaches of Murud Janjira and is served by the popular Konkan Railway service.

Mr Bennett's murder came less than two weeks after another Briton was killed in India.

Charity worker Mike Blakey, 23, from Burnley, was battered to death in the town of Dharamsala in northern India on 29 November.

His body was found hidden under a pile of stones in a stream.