Thai backpacker's parents' plea

Sue and Glyn Jones pictured after Kirsty's murder

The family of a Welsh backpacker who was murdered in Thailand last August have insisted the hunt for her killer must go on.

A year after 23-year-old Kirsty Jones died in a backpackers' hostel her parents said the hunt for their daughter's murderer should not end until he has "paid the price".

The body of the Liverpool University graduate from Tredomen near Brecon in Powys was found in her room in a backpacker's hostel in Chiang Mai on August 10, 2000.

Someone somewhere should pay the price for robbing us and Kirsty of what should have been a wonderful, happy life

Sue Jones

She had been raped and strangled in the £1-a-night Aree guesthouse where she was staying on her way to Australia at the start of a two-year world backpacking tour.

Three weeks later more than 800 mourners packed the tiny village church of Llanfilo, near her childhood home, to say their goodbyes to Kirsty.

Thai police, who have faced criticisms for their handling of the murder inquiry, are still hunting Kirsty's killer.

As the anniversary of the murder approaches, Kirsty's mother Sue, father Glyn and brother Gareth issued a statement saying her killer must be caught.

"One day we hope to see justice done, for the safety of other backpackers, but most importantly for Kirsty.

Kirsty Jones : World backpacking tour

"Someone somewhere should pay the price for robbing us and Kirsty of what should have been a wonderful, happy life."

The investigation into the murder has been beset with difficulties from the start.

Officers failed to seal off the murder scene and a TV crew was allow into Kirsty's room before forensic examinations had been completed.

Later when DNA tests on suspects who had been staying at the guesthouse failed to clear the killer was not found.

The officer heading the inquiry was removed from the case and then the chief investigator retired.

There were also allegations of brutality made against the police by one of the Thai suspects.

Eventually the British owner of the guest house who discovered Kirsty's body was arrested.

Andy Gill, 33, a former ski-instructor from Lewisham in London was charged with conspiracy to rape and murder.

He had first been arrested two days after he found Kirsty's body and charged with passport irregularities because his visa to stay in Thailand was two years out of date.

However, on November 30 last year all charges against Mr Gill were dropped and he returned to live in Britain.

Hostel owner Andrew Gill

Police in Chiang Mai insist that the inquiry into Kirsty Jones murder is continuing.

Dyfed Powys Police have also offered their help in the investigation with two senior detectives flying out from Wales to Thailand in June.

The British Embassy in Bangkok also said it was "pushing " the authorities to find the killer.

Cases like this can continue for a long time, sometimes for many many years, " said an embassy spokesman.

"We are pushing as much as we can and have been doing that constantly since Kirsty's death."

At their home in Powys, Kirsty's mother Sue said the family wanted to use the anniversary to remember their "bright, intelligent and bubbly daughter" as she was when she was alive.

"Kirsty could be awkward, pig-headed and never, never admitted to being wrong," she said.

"Our children are like grains of sand - the tighter we try to hold on to them, the faster they run."