Straw pledges help over missing woman

Surjit Athwal was last seen at Delhi airport

The family of a woman who went missing in India five years ago have met Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, asking him to do more to help find her.

Surjit Athwal's family believe she was murdered on a visit to the sub-continent.

The 28-year-old from Hayes, west London, who also had family in Coventry, was last seen at Delhi airport in 1998.

Campaigners say the mother-of-two has not been given the same attention as other British nationals such as Lucie Blackman, found dead in Japan, and backpacker Kirsty Jones, who was murdered in Thailand.

So far 34 MPs have signed an early day motion urging Mr Straw to intervene in the case

It was a very sudden holiday, one which had not been pre-planned Jagdeesh Singh, brother

After seeing the foreign secretary on Thursday evening, Surjit's brother Jagdeesh Singh from Slough, Berkshire, said: "It has been a very productive meeting.

"Jack Straw said he would be taking up the case with the authorities in India."

Mrs Athwal had an arranged marriage when she was still in her teens and her family say she had demanded a divorce soon afterwards.

They say her trip to India in December 1998 was "out of the blue" and they have not heard from her since.

Mr Singh added: "It was a very sudden holiday, one which had not been pre-planned.

"When I spoke to her on the phone I was very surprised and aghast as to why she was going on holiday."

A £10,000 reward for information about Mrs Athwal still stands.