'Private' funeral for backpacker

Kirsty died at a hostel in Chiang Mai

Murdered backpacker Kirsty Jones will be buried on Friday afternoon at a village church close to her home, a family spokesman said.

A funeral service will take place at St Bilo's Church, Llanfilo, Powys, three miles from the Tredomen farm where the 23-year-old grew up.

Kirsty was found strangled at a hostel in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, after a night out with a friend on 10 August.

Kirsty Jones: Unlawfully killed

Her remains will be buried in the village cemetery in the heart of the mid Wales countryside at 1400BST following a remembrance service.

Friends of the Liverpool University English and media studies graduate from all over Britain are expected to attend the service.

Mike Gooding, a friend who has been acting for her parents Glyn and Sue Jones, said of the funeral: "It will be taking place in Llanfilo on Friday at 2pm but the church and the churchyard itself will only be open to family and friends.

"The family are expecting quite a lot of Kirsty's friends to attend but no final arrangements will be made until tomorrow at the earliest.

"Glyn and Sue would ask that people respect their privacy. All they really want to do is lay their daughter to rest."

On Monday, an inquest was told Kirsty's body had lain undiscovered for 15 hours.

Coroner John Hollis told the inquest at Brecon that as Ms Jones had been strangled, the only conclusion he could draw was that she had been unlawfully killed.

"There is no reason why this particular chapter in the sad story of Kirsty Jones's tragic death could not be brought to a close," he said.

"The only verdict is one of unlawful killing."

Glyn Jones: Call for privacy

The verdict came as police in Thailand revealed they were holding only one man - Surin Chanpranet, the 47-year-old manager of the hostel - in connection with the death.

A second man, a tour guide, was released after questioning.

Coroner's officer Mike Eckley said Ms Jones was strangled within an hour of returning to the Aree House guesthouse in Chang Mai.

PC Eckley said she had returned to the hostel sometime after midnight, and her body was found at 1630 BST the following day.

"She lay undiscovered for almost 15 hours," he said.

"It would appear according to the information that we have that she was attacked almost as soon as she returned home."

Meanwhile, the chief Thai investigator in the case has been transferred after failing to make progress.

Police said a new investigator has been appointed.

It follows criticisms that police have dawdled in their investigation and made injudicious and confusing remarks to the public.