British Backpacker Found With Throat Cut at Great Wall of China

A British man who was backpacking around Asia as part of an eight month tour has been found murdered in China.

Tom Dawson, 24, from Fulham, west London, is understood to have been found near the great wall of China on October 2 with multiple head injuries and his throat cut.

He had left the UK for Hong Kong in early September before moving on to the Chinese capital, Beijing, as part of a trip he had planned following his graduation this year from the London College of Printing.

A source said yesterday: "The cause of death was multiple fractures to the skull. He was murdered and an investigation is under way."

Chinese police are believed to be keeping Mr Dawson's body while they investigate and they have asked for his parents to provide DNA samples for identification.

Mr Dawson had told his family that he intended to celebrate his birthday on September 29 by spending the day on the great wall.

It is thought that during his trip walking along the wall he was attacked by bandits.

His murder will only highlight the perceived growing crime rate in China. Although there are no reliable statistics on crime, which the Chinese government regards as a sensitive subject, media outlets in the country have increasingly reported violent crime.

Mr Dawson's mother and father, Ana and Peter, and his two sisters were said to be distraught at the news. In a statement, they described him as an "extremely happy and vibrant young man, with a personality that charmed everyone who met him".

They added: "We are so completely bereft. We loved him so much. He lit up our lives."

One of Mr Dawson's friends, Nick Martin, said details of what happened and where remained sketchy.

"Tom was attacked while he was out there and he's dead," said Mr Martin, a property developer from Battersea, south London.

"The case is with the Chinese authorities. That's all we know."