Family angry at bail for 'killer'

Vanessa Arscott was killed moments after her boyfriend, Adam Lloyd

The families of a UK couple shot dead in Thailand say it is a "travesty of natural justice" that the man accused of their murders has been granted bail.

Adam Lloyd, 25, and Vanessa Arscott, 24, from Devon, were killed on a night out near Kanchanaburi, 80 miles west of Bangkok, in September.

Thai policeman Sergeant Somchai Visetsingha was freed on £13,500 bail on Thursday.

He was released after pleading not guilty to their murders.

The two fathers of the couple, Brian Lloyd and Graham Arscott, and Vanessa's sister Alyssa, 27, visited Foreign Office minister Baroness Symons at her London office to request she intervene on their behalf with Thai authorities.

Mr Arscott said the families found bail decision "both heartbreaking and appalling".

"It makes me wonder as a father whether our children can ever have an opportunity to receive justice in such a system," he said.

Four charges

Thai prosecutors brought four charges against Somchai; premeditated murder of Lloyd; killing Arscott with intent to conceal evidence; possession of an unlicensed gun and carrying a weapon in a public place without permission.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges in the provincial court in Kanchanaburi on Thursday.

If found guilty he faces the automatic death sentence.

Mr Arscott said he has requested that the Foreign Office intervenes at the "highest level of authority in Thailand to remedy what is clearly a travesty of natural justice to our children".

He said that Thailand should consider the consequences the case may have for tourism.

"The Thai authorities need to be very mindful of the implications of such a travesty to their tourist industry as 750,000 Britons go to Thailand each year," he said.

No financial help

The families were accompanied by their MPs, Anthony Steen, Conservative MP for Totnes and Liberal Democrat Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, who are petitioning the government to do more.

Mr Steen said this was a case of British subjects "who have been killed and abandoned".

He said the baroness was now going to speak to Thai authorities but the family would get no financial aid to help pay for travel costs to Thailand and a lawyer.

"It really is a disgraceful situation," he said. "British subjects should feel they have protection from the government, prime minister and Foreign Office wherever they go in the world."

The families intend to travel to Thailand next month for an interim court hearing.