Petition for return of son's body

Gary Dunne was attacked by a gang of Spanish youths

The family of a man murdered in Spain two years ago are calling for the UK government to help bring his body home.

Gary Dunne, 22, of Liverpool, was stabbed to death by a gang of youths near Torremolinos in March 2006.

Officials kept Mr Dunne's body during the murder inquiry but now say it must be cremated before it can be returned - which is against his family's wishes.

Mr Dunne's family will hand a petition of more than 40,000 signatures in at Downing Street calling for action.

Spanish authorities have said the body needs cremating for hygiene reasons before it can be transported.

But Mr Dunne's parents Steve and Lee Dunne, of Old Swan, said they wanted to bring him home for a family funeral.

'Mental torture'

Now they have called on the British government to put pressure on Spain to release the body for a flight home without cremation.

They have previously asked Arlene McCarthy, MEP for the north-west of England, to help them to take the issue to the European Court of Human Rights.

His father, Steve Dunne, has said the family was going through "mental torture".

He said he wanted to government to help the family out.

"We need their help in a big way," Mr Dunne added.

The Spanish authorities have refused to comment.