A man has been jailed for life for the 1998 murder of Surjit Singh Chhokar after being tried for a second time.

Ronnie Coulter, 48, from Wishaw, was originally cleared of stabbing the 32-year-old in Overtown, North Lanarkshire, following a trial in 1999.
The Crown was given permission to bring a second prosecution following changes to Scotland's double jeopardy laws.
Following his conviction earlier this month, Coulter was told he must serve a minimum of 19 years and eight months.
This is the time he must spend in prison before he is eligible to apply for parole.
Jailing him at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Matthews said: "Chhokar was the victim of an ambush which cost him his life.
"The jury accepted you were responsible for his brutal murder over the theft of Â£100.70 Giro.
"You chose to involve yourself. The evidence showed that what happened was not on the spur of the moment."
Lord Matthews said that on the night of the murder, Coulter had travelled to Overtown with his nephew Andrew Coulter and a friend, David Montgomery.
The judge added: "It is plain that your only purpose was violence and you must have had a knife to hand. You inflicted three stab wounds on his body in the most despicable and cowardly manner.
"Now, many years later you are here to answer for your crime."
Lord Matthews praised what he called "the quiet dignity" of the Chhokar family who had endured an 18-year wait for justice.
Speaking outside court, Chhokar family lawyer Aamer Anwar said: "In the 18 years it took to prove Ronnie Coulter's guilt, he has never shown a shred of remorse or sorrow.
"Surjit Singh Chhokar was not his only victim. His two parents, a sister, two young children and his partner Liz had their lives devastated, but today the presence of justice has finally given Surjit's family peace."
Det Ch Supt Clark Cuzen, who led the new investigation into the murder, said, "I hope today's sentence gives some closure to the family and again, I would like to thank them for their courage and dignity throughout."
Coulter was convicted by majority verdict earlier this month following a four-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
It was only the second time in Scottish legal history that an accused had been tried twice for the same crime. The other saw Angus Sinclair convicted of the World's End murders after a second trial.
The trial heard that Ronnie Coulter, his nephew Andrew Coulter and another man, David Montgomery, went to see Mr Chhokar on 4 November 1998 following a row over a stolen Â£100 Giro cheque.
After an altercation, Mr Chhokar collapsed in front of his partner Liz Bryce.
He was stabbed three times in the chest and one of the blows pierced his heart, resulting in his death from massive blood loss.
The court also heard how Ronnie Coulter was previously tried for Mr Chhokar's murder in 1999, but cleared of the charge.
Andrew Coulter, who was convicted of stabbing and killing another man in 1999, and Mr Montgomery, were also cleared of Mr Chhokar's murder at another trial in 2000.
In 2011, changes were made to the double jeopardy law which prevented an accused person from being tried for the same offence twice.
In January 2013, the Crown Office ordered a new investigation into the Chhokar case.
The following year, three high court judges granted prosecutors permission to retry Ronnie Coulter.
He denied the charge and lodged a special defence blaming his nephew Andrew and Mr Montgomery.
Both men gave evidence during the trial and admitted being there on the night Mr Chhokar died, but they denied murder.
The jury decided Ronnie Coulter committed the murder and convicted him following the second trial.
In mitigation, Coulter's representative Donald Findlay QC said his client maintained that he was at the scene but did not "wield the knife".
Mr Findlay also said race "had no part whatsoever to play in this matter" and urged Lord Matthews to judge on "the facts of the case" and exercise leniency in respect of Coulter's treatment for depression and paranoid schizophrenia.


Northampton Saints scrum-half Lee Dickson believes he is in the thoughts of England head coach Stuart Lancaster.

The 29-year-old has not featured in this year's Six Nations, and the last of his 18 Test caps came last summer.
"I spoke to the England staff a couple of times. They're happy with how I'm playing - they think I'm playing very well," he told BBC Radio Northampton.
"For reasons that they have, they've gone for Ben Youngs and Richard Wigglesworth."
He added: "I have to take that on the chin and adapt and react to that."
Leicester's Youngs has started all three of England's Six Nations games so far, including Sunday's 19-9 loss to Ireland, and was replaced by Saracens' Wigglesworth each time.
Harlequins nine Danny Care is also an option, but missed his club's defeat by Northampton last week with a calf strain.
Dickson, meanwhile, has captained Saints in their last two games, helping keep Jim Mallinder's men top of the Premiership.
"I want them to do well. I'm English, I'm patriotic. And I'm desperate to get into that set-up," he said.
"All I can do is keep playing well for Saints, keep us at the top of the league and hopefully the goal will come soon."


Rescuers searching for a British woman who fell overboard from a cruise ship in the Atlantic have found a body.

The woman was reported missing on the Aurora ship as it sailed from the Spanish city of La Coruna to Barcelona on Friday, P&O Cruises said.
The ship's crew were alerted and ordered an immediate search for the woman, who has not yet been named.
The Aurora left Southampton for a 14-night western Mediterranean cruise on 26 September.
A statement from P&O Cruises said: "Our care team is supporting the family and offering assistance."
The company confirmed all passengers on board were British.
It is understood that passengers were informed of the discovery of the body through an announcement from the ship's captain, Ian Hutley.
Pat Rodgers, who is on board the Aurora with her husband, said the water had been "very choppy" and fellow passengers were "sad and subdued".
She said: "The captain made an announcement over the loudspeaker at 8:10 BST and asked everyone to help keep a look-out.
"There have been planes and a helicopter circling overhead and the lifeboats are out."
She added: "The crew have been great. They are keeping things calm and the captain is giving frequent updates."


Louis Oosthuizen has completed a career Grand Slam... of second places.

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The South African, 34, was joint runner-up with Francesco Molinari and Patrick Reed at the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow on Sunday, behind winner Justin Thomas.
Oosthuizen lost a play-off to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters, another to Zach Johnson at The Open in 2015 and tied for second behind Dustin Johnson at the US Open later that year.
Only five players have completed the illustrious career Grand Slam by winning each of golf's four majors in the modern era - Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
But Oosthuizen's unwelcome record puts him in good company.
Former world number one Greg Norman finished runner-up in majors eight times: three times at the Masters, twice at the US Open, once at The Open, and twice at the US PGA.
Jack Nicklaus, who with 18 major titles is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, was runner-up a record 19 times, including seven at The Open.
Phil Mickelson, though a five-time major champion, has 11 second places to his name.
Oosthuizen, ranked 20th in the world, didn't let his latest near miss affect him too much, as he posted a video on Twitter lip-syncing to Andra Day's hit Rise Up, which quickly went viral.
And this isn't a case of always the bridesmaid and never the bride - Oosthuizen does have a major to his name after winning The Open in 2010.


Two care workers who tormented dementia patients by torturing their "comfort dolls" have been detained.

Shauna Higgin and Victoria Johnson both admitted two counts of ill treatment of residents at Ashbourne House Nursing Home in Middleton, Rochdale, last year.
The pair shared videos and images of themselves "harming" the therapy dolls.
Higgin, 20, of Middleton, was detained at a young offender institution for 13 months while Johnson, 23, from Oldham was jailed 12 months.
On sentencing at Manchester Crown Court Minshull Street, Judge Andrew Lowcock described the offences as "cruel" and said: "You treated [residents] as playthings, as the butt of your tasteless jokes."
The dolls are used as a therapeutic tool by residents who care for them like their own babies.
In one photo, titled 'Tug of War' Higgin, of Boarshaw Walk, pulls a doll off an elderly woman who holds on with her hands to stop it being snatched away.
On another occasion Johnson filmed Higgin throwing a doll to the floor and shouting "Die baby. Die."
The doll was also photographed in a variety of other positions such as being hung by its neck, in a tumble dryer, a cooking pot, submerged in a fish tank and being dragged along a corridor by Higgin.
A whistleblower sent the pictures to the Manchester Evening News and police were called in January.
The 29-bedroom nursing home which cares for people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease was placed in special measures earlier this year by the Care Quality Commission.
The CQC said in a statement after sentencing it was "pleased" with the outcome as it sends a strong message that abuse or neglect on vulnerable members society will not be tolerated.
Ashbourne House Nursing Home - run by Silverdale Care Homes Limited - has so far been unavailable for comment.
Two counts of wilful neglect or ill treatment by a case worker are to lie on file.


A prosecutor has asked a jury to find two men guilty of murdering a man by pushing him into a canal.

Mark Munro, 31, and James Robertson, 27, deny killing Russell Robertson by pushing him over railings at Bainsford Bridge, Falkirk.
It is alleged that they repeatedly punched Mr Robertson on the hands and prised his fingers from the bridge railings in May last year.
A jury at the High Court in Glasgow is hearing closing speeches in the trial.
Mr Munro says he was trying to help Russell Robertson after his co-accused pushed him over the railings.
Mr Robertson claims he initially struggled with Russell Robertson, but had left by the time he went over the bridge.
In his closing speech to the jury, advocate depute Alan Cameron said: "The accused's account of what happened wildly contradict each other.
"They can't both be telling the truth.
"I say both are lying because they want to avoid the consequences of their actions which led to the death of Russell Robertson."
Defence QC Derek Ogg, representing Mr Munro, said: "That night what Mark Munro wanted to do was go home.
"He is described as mellow and his co-accused as happy that night.
"Then there is an incident which must have lasted for less than a minute and everything changes.
"A person loses his life and two others face the prospect of a conviction for the most serious crime."
Mr Ogg said there were few eye-witnesses, despite the area being busy that night, and asked the jury to consider carefully what witnesses claimed to have seen and how far away they were at the time.
He said Mr Munro said he was trying to help Russell Robertson by grabbing him as he fell and swinging him onto the embankment.
That movement caused Mr Robertson to hit his head on a metal stanchion under the bridge, causing the fractured skull which killed him.
Mr Ogg told the jurors: "If you accept the reason he grabbed Russell Robertson and swung him was to help him then he is not guilty of anything and you must acquit him."
The QC said that if the jury instead believed Mr Munro had assaulted Russell Robertson then they should convict him of culpable homicide, rather than murder.
The trial before judge Lady Carmichael continues.


As President Obama finished his speech to the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa last month and stepped off the stage, a tempest whipped up outside.

The trees swayed, the rain battered the domed roof of the headquarters building and, given the lecture he'd just delivered to African leaders from their own pulpit, it might well have been the ghosts of dictators past rattling the rafters.
He talked about democracy and the "cancer of corruption," but the words which reverberated across the continent were an off-script put-down of leaders who "refuse to step aside when their terms end".
The audience cheered, but not surprisingly the assembly's seats weren't filled by the continent's presidents.
Instead it was the AU's commission he addressed - its secretariat.
That was always the plan according to the White House.
Journalists and commentators had been salivating at the prospect of America's first black president meeting Africa's oldest.
Robert Mugabe, who's 91, is the AU chairman, and the speech would have rattled the rafters from the inside if the heads of state had been present.
"I love my work, but under our constitution I can't run again," President Obama said.
"I actually think I'm a pretty good president - I think if I ran again I could win."
That's probably not true - given he's only half as popular back in the US as he is in Kenya, the first stop on a trip hailed as a homecoming.
"I don't understand why people want to stay so long, especially when they've got a lot of money," he mocked, to the loudest cheer of the day.
Third-termism is catching. It's already made a comeback in Burundi, caused a government to collapse in Burkina Faso, and appears on the cards in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of the Congo.
And the three elder statesmen of the AU have racked up a hundred years in power between them.
Presidents Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea (36), Mugabe of Zimbabwe (35), and Paul Biya of Cameroon (33) are the longest standing of those leaders on the continent who aren't so keen on giving up the trappings of office.
"Sometimes you will hear a leader say 'I'm the only person who can keep the nation together'. If that's true that leader has failed to truly build the nation," President Obama said in the last speech of his Africa trip, and arguably his best.
He emphasised the defining themes of his visit - the significance of security, particularly the fight against extremism; trade replacing aid; the importance of youth and women, human rights and democracy; and the battle against corruption.
They were points you could tick off from every speech from his very first in Kenya, where he opened the Global Entrepreneurship Summit emphasising trade and promising investment.
With him on the trip were American businessmen and at least one billionaire.
He made sure to visit successful start-up companies, among them one developing a solar lighting system to bring power to the remotest of villages.
Power Africa is one of his headline programmes, but has so far failed to achieve much.
Big slow-burning fuses in infrastructure, agriculture, trade and young leadership are what he's staking his legacy on.
Presidents Clinton and Bush ploughed huge sums into Africa to tackle Aids and malaria - massive health challenges that needed the dollars.
China is now the largest single investor in Africa and spares the AU a lecture, but President Obama hopes he can create long-lasting change - providing "not the fish, but the fishing rod" as he put it.
His supporters say his African legacy may take time to build, but will bear fruit, and it's obvious he's keen to spend more time on the continent once he's left office.
"I'll be honest with you," he told the AU. "I'm looking forward to life after being the president. I won't have this big security detail all the timeâ€¦ and I can visit Africa more often."
Coming to Kenya while president was an important part of plotting out that future.
He bounded down the stairs from Air Force One in Nairobi, and the video clips of him dancing at the State Dinner showed the passion he has for his "ancestral home".
And it was great PR for Kenya.
Terror attacks have hit the country's reputation hard and the first ever visit by a sitting American president did a great deal to improve that global image.
There was real Obama-mania on the streets of Nairobi, despite the high security and grumbling over road closures.
And he didn't pull his punches there either - publicly clashing with President Uhuru Kenyatta over gay rights.
President Obama's renewed engagement with Africa began late in his presidency, by gathering the continent's leaders in Washington last year, amid accusations he was playing catch-up with China.
America's commitment to resolving the crisis in South Sudan looks unlikely to succeed in the short term as it becomes increasingly complicated and difficult to undo.
But it's the long game where President Obama, "Kenya's first American president" as he called himself, will best be judged.


A drone carrying illegal drugs has crashed near a US border crossing in Mexico.

The quadcopter carrying 3kg (6.6lb) of methamphetamine was found in pieces in a supermarket car park near San Ysidro.
Mexican police said the drone had probably crashed because the drugs onboard had been too heavy for it.
They added that drones were increasingly being used to ferry illicit items across the border with the US.
In a statement, the Tijuana police said the drugs had been divided into six packets crudely taped to the body of the drone.
After receiving an anonymous call about the crashed craft, Tijuana police recovered the drone and are now examining it to see if they can trace who set it flying and where it began its journey.
The statement said the drone was a prototype that could be given GPS co-ordinates and would then travel to that location autonomously. No pilot was needed to guide it.
The Tijuana police said drones were just one of the many innovative ways drug-smugglers were using to ferry illicit substances across the border. Other methods included catapults, tunnels and ultra-light aircraft.
Last year, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said drones were becoming so popular as a method of drug transport that some gangs were manufacturing their own.
Engineers were hired to make the devices for the drug cartels so they could carry more weight than those that were commercially available, it said.
The drones were making more than 150 trips a year, suggested figures from the DEA.


Criminals should no longer receive a second caution if they commit the same or a similar offence within a two-year period, new guidelines for police in England and Wales say.

The Ministry of Justice change relates to "simple cautions" given mainly for offences classed as "low level" such as shoplifting and criminal damage.
Ministers say two would only now be granted in "exceptional circumstances".
Police can use cautions instead of prosecuting if people admit offences.
They can also be given by the Crown Prosecution Service and apply to any offenders over the age of 10 if they admit a crime and agree to accept one.
But concerns have been raised that cautions are being used to deal with repeat offenders, contrary to advice, and the government pledged to clamp down on their over-use.
An MoJ examination of the system has now concluded that all types of out of court disposals should be reviewed by next spring.
As well as simple cautions, these include cautions with conditions attached, fixed penalty notices, warnings given to people for possession of cannabis, community resolutions and fixed penalty notices for disorder.
The MoJ said overall, the use of cautions issued to all ages of offenders fell from a peak of 362,900 in 2007 to 200,900 in 2012.
But its figures show that some 4,763 adults received two or more simple cautions in the two years to 31 March this year for similar offences.
In September, ministers announced that simple cautions for serious offences such as rape, robbery and supplying class A drugs would be banned.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "The current range of out of court disposals are confusing and the system is overly bureaucratic.
"They should be consistent, straightforward and something in which victims and the wider public can have confidence."
The review recommended there should be greater transparency with police, magistrates and victims' groups potentially checking to see cautions have been issued correctly.
The guidance also says criminals should only receive more than one simple caution in a two-year period in certain cases and only then when signed off by a police inspector.
The Association of Chief Police Officers said it recommended and supported the review of cautions.
But Chief Constable Lynne Owens from Acpo said: "It is important that there is room for officer discretion in any system to ensure the punishment is proportionate to the offence."
Labour welcomed the move but accused ministers of being too slow in addressing the issue.
Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said: "In the three years it has taken the government to wake up to this problem, too many innocent victims of crime have been insulted by the slaps on the wrist given to criminals.
"Ministers denied there was even a problem. Then they insulted innocent victims, blaming the rise in cautions on their unwillingness to press charges. Now we have yet another review being launched."


Saracens back row Jacques Burger will retire from rugby after Sunday's Premiership game against Newcastle.

The 32-year-old former Namibia captain has made 113 appearances since joining Sarries in 2009 and helped the club win two Premiership titles.
Burger, who won 41 caps and appeared at the 2015 World Cup, will return to Namibia to become a farmer.
"It is sad that it's coming to an end but playing rugby is something that I have really loved doing," he said.
"Growing up I wanted to be a professional rugby player and I have been fortunate to live that dream."
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall described Burger, who leaves just two weeks before the Champions Cup final and the start of Sarries' Premiership play-off campaign, as "an amazing player and person".
"He set a phenomenal example on the field with his bravery and the way that he gave everything he could in every game," McCall told the club website.
"He will always be remembered as one of the true greats of Saracens."


A "cherished" love letter from a woman to her World War Two sweetheart has been discovered in a supermarket's lost property box.

It was found by checkout operator Stacey Adamson at Asda's store in Leigh, Greater Manchester.
The letter was sent by "Dorothy" to leading aircraftman "Harry" Hughes in Ceylon - now Sri Lanka - in 1945.
Ms Adamson is now trying to trace the couple, saying she wants to reunite them with the "clearly cherished" note.
"Dorothy", who lived in Kinver Road, New Moston, started writing the letter on 3 July 1945 and wrote of life in Manchester and how she and Harry would get married after the war.
She went on to mention that "today is general election day", suggesting her note was completed two days later, and asks "Harry" if he was able to vote, as "the Government seem to have made a mess of this voting business for the Forces".
She also wrote about his brother Frank returning on leave, saying his parents were "pleased" that he was back, but "as usual, your mother is saying how untidy the house is when he is home".
Ms Adamson said she had been clearing the lost property box when she spotted a crumpled envelope.
"It just caught my eye... because you could tell it was really old," she said.
Gleaning information from the letter, Ms Adamson was able to find footage of LAC Hughes that had been put online by the North West Film Archive as part of Calling Blighty, a project aimed at identifying servicemen who had been captured in 12 films.
The films, made between 1944 and 1946, are recordings of mostly servicemen - with a few women - captured for their families to see in local cinemas back in the United Kingdom.
Ms Adamson posted the letter, along with the footage, on Facebook, but while it has been shared by many users, no-one has yet come forward to identify it.
Her colleague Gwen Appleton asked anyone with information to get in touch, adding: "We're very keen to find out the story behind this letter".


Retail giant Walmart, which owns Asda in the UK, has applied for permission to test delivery drones in the US.

The firm has asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if it can begin flight testing drones for home delivery, pick-up and warehouse tasks.
Walmart is the world's largest retailer by revenue and follows in the steps of Amazon, which is already testing drones for this purpose.
It has emerged that Walmart is already testing drones indoors.
A range of potential tasks for the drones to carry out could be evaluated.
These include dropping off products in Walmart car parks for customers to collect, and for inspecting digital tags on trucks at Walmart warehouses in order to check what they contain.
Direct deliveries to customers' homes could be trialled once the permission of residents in the flight path had been granted, the company said.
But Walmart's application suggests it might dispatch those drones from trucks in the area, and not directly from distribution centres.
Should the FAA grant permission, Walmart plans to use drones made by Chinese firm DJI.
Earlier in the year, Amazon received permission to begin testing its drones outdoors, although it must obey rules such as keeping the vehicles below 400 ft and only operating them via a human pilot.
Various other firms have started investigating the possibilities of drone delivery, including huge Chinese retailer Alibaba, courier DHL and the Singapore Post.
"Drones have a lot of potential to further connect our vast network of stores, distribution centres, fulfilment centres and transportation fleet," said Walmart spokesman Dan Toporek in a statement.
"There is a Walmart within five miles of 70 % of the US population, which creates some unique and interesting possibilities for serving customers with drones."
The move suggested thickening competition between the world's biggest retailers, according to Andrew Milroy, an analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
"This shows that Walmart is competing head-to-head with Amazon as it seeks ways of making its supply chains more efficient and ways of improving customer service," he said.
Retailers' moves into the area of drone delivery are to be taken seriously, suggested legal expert Luke Scanlon of law firm Pinsent Masons.
"Retailers are definitely seeing a future application," he told the BBC.


Russia hopes to prevent its athletes being banned from next year's Rio Olympics by claiming "irregularities" around its drug-testing system were down to the sport's "old leadership".

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The country's athletics federation has written to athletics' governing body after allegations of "state-sponsored doping" were made by a World Anti-Doping Agency independent report.
The response will be discussed by the International Association of Athletics Federations on Friday, with a decision expected to be made public afterwards.
"In our report for the IAAF, we agreed with some of Wada's positions," Vadim Zelichenok, acting president of the Russian athletics federation, told TASS news agency.
"However, we explained that all these irregularities happened under the old leadership of the Russian athletics federation and took place some time ago."
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says Russia will not boycott next year's Olympics, should the country's athletes be banned from competing.
"Russia is against a boycott. Russia is against political interference in sport," he said.
But he did say that Russia could create a new anti-doping agency after the allegations.
"If there are any questions or proposals for us from Wada, the IAAF and the International Olympic Committee, or some roadmap proposals, we are ready to re-accredit the laboratory, or reform it, or create a new anti-doping organisation," he added.
Wada says London 2012 was "sabotaged" by "widespread inaction" against athletes with suspicious doping profiles, while the IAAF - whose former president Lamine Diack is being investigated by French police - was also implicated.
The report also recommended that five athletes and five coaches should be given lifetime doping bans. The allegations are unproven and the athletes are yet to respond to the report's findings.
The Kremlin dismissed the accusations, describing them as "groundless", but Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an investigation.
Mutko and Putin have both appealed for Russia's track and field team to be allowed to compete, arguing a blanket ban would unfairly punish clean athletes.
"It will be painful for those athletes with clean consciences who could compete, that's the first thing," said Mutko.
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"And the second thing is that it goes against the spirit of the Wada code. The commission itself writes about it in its report. It's about protecting the athletes with clean consciences."
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday his organisation had "no authority" to ban countries from the Games, and the matter was solely for the IAAF to deal with.
During the Cold War, the United States and allies did not compete at the 1980 Moscow Olympics in protest against the Soviet Union, and there was a Soviet-led boycott of the Olympics in Los Angeles four years later.
Meanwhile, a Swiss laboratory named in the Wada report has denied it acted wrongly in destroying 67 samples sent from Moscow for testing.
The Lausanne-based Swiss doping analysis laboratory, known by its French initials LAD, is described in the report as having destroyed test samples after making "unwarranted assumptions" they had been sufficiently tested.
However, the laboratory said it had analysed the samples and destroyed them "in accordance with the procedures in laboratories accredited by Wada".


The brother of a British tourist found dead after a beach party in Thailand says he suspects foul play and want answers from the authorities.

Andrew Apperley, 38, from Eastbourne, was reported missing after failing to return to his hotel four days after going to a Full Moon party.
Richard Apperley said the situation was "just heartbreaking".
"My mum lost her husband and now she's lost her youngest son... it's created a big loss in our lives," he said.
"He leaves a young daughter as well."
Mr Apperley, who was raised in Gloucestershire, flew to Bangkok before travelling onto the resort island of Koh Samui.
On 12 February he headed by boat for a party on the island of Koh Phangan.
His brothers found a series of text messages sent to friends on 13 February appearing to suggest he may be in danger, including one mentioning  a "scary guy with the face mask".
His body was found four days after he was reported missing on 17 February.
Richard Apperley said he owed it to his brother to press the Thai authorities to investigate, adding he suspected foul play.
"I can't sleep at night, I've been up for days and days sat at the computer running a social media campaign which has gone global.
"I'm not go to go away and they need to deal with this."
He added the family plan to fly out to Thailand in the next few days.


Portsmouth midfielder Danny Hollands says the depth of their squad will see them through the current injury crisis.

Pompey secured a place in the League Two play-offs with a 1-0 win at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday, but were without eight first-team players.
Automatic promotion is still mathematically possible for Paul Cook's side with two games remaining.
"Our whole squad is quality," Hollands told BBC Radio Solent. "Whoever takes the field, we're all together."
"The 11 that took the field (at Wimbledon) were fantastic and whoever lines up this Saturday will do the same job."
Mathematically, sixth-placed Pompey could still overhaul third-placed Oxford with wins in their remaining games at Hartlepool and at home to champions Northampton.
"If we do well at the end of the season, that will take us into the play-offs," Hollands added.
"There's six points still to play for and we want to get as many as we can to ensure we hit the ground running come the play-offs."


Search teams are continuing to look for a teenager feared to have fallen into a river after taking a so-called "new psychoactive substance" (NPS).

Nathan Wood, 16, was reportedly seen running naked near the River Dart in Totnes on Friday evening in a "distressed state", police said.
Officers said they believed he entered the water at about 18:30 BST on Friday.
Divers, the Dartmoor Rescue Group and a helicopter were drafted in on Saturday to help find Mr Wood.
Acting Sgt Kevin Rowe, of Devon and Cornwall Police, told the BBC the boy had been with a group of friends.
Sgt Rowe said there was a "possibility he may have taken some sort of [formerly] legal high which has had an adverse effect on his behaviour and caused him to behave quite irrationally".
New psychoactive substances, formerly known as "legal highs", are synthetic versions of drugs such as amphetamines and cannabis designed to mimic their effects.
Blanket legislation outlawing NPS was passed earlier this year.


The US and Nato have expressed concern over reports that Russia is increasing its military presence in Syria.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said if confirmed, Russia's involvement would not help to solve the conflict.
Separately on Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry "reiterated" his concerns to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the phone.
Russia, a key ally of Syria during its four-year civil war, says it has sent military experts but that is all.
Correspondents say that without Moscow's backing, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have fallen by now.
Unnamed US officials quoted by Reuters say Moscow has sent additional aircraft and two tank landing ships to Russia's naval base in the Syrian coastal city of Tartus, within the past day or so. They also say a small number of naval infantry forces have been deployed.
But a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman insisted on Wednesday that this was nothing new, arguing that Moscow had been openly supplying weapons and sending military specialists to Syria for a long time.
"Russia has never made a secret of its military-technical cooperation with Syria,'' Maria Zakharova said. Syria, for its part, has denied any military build up by Russian troops on its soil.
Unnamed Lebanese officials have also told Reuters that Russian soldiers are already taking part in the fighting on the ground.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Iran told Russian media that Moscow had been granted permission to fly planes over Iranian territory en route to Syria, but Iran has yet to confirm this. It follows Bulgaria's refusal to allow an unspecified number of Russian aircraft to cross over its air space.
John Kerry warned Mr Lavrov on Wednesday that if the reports were found to be true, "it could lead to greater violence". The German and French foreign ministers have also warned against a further military escalation.
The US is currently engaged in its own military air campaign against Islamic State (IS) militants in both Syria and Iraq.
US officials say Russia may be providing President Assad with greater military support because this year he has sustained substantial territorial losses, as IS militants have come to be seen as the bigger threat.
The latest developments follow reports of further setbacks for Syrian government forces, which on Wednesday lost control of a key air base in Idlib - one of the final regime position's in the north-eastern province.
Russia and the US disagree sharply on Syria. While Russia has backed the Syrian government, and provided it with arms, the US wants to see the removal of President Assad.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has been at war with various rebel groups since 2011, in a conflict that has so far killed at least 240,000 people.


A restaurant staffed by prisoners has been named alongside Michelin-starred eateries in a list of the UK's 10 best rated.

Cardiff's The Clink, run by low-risk inmates from Prescoed and Cardiff prisons, was ranked 10th in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Favourite Fine Dining Restaurants UK.
Restaurants run by celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux Jr also made the list.
The Clink aims to reduce reoffending.
Opened in 2012, The Clink Cardiff is now one of four restaurants run by prisoners across the UK through The Clink Charity.
It offers 30 category D prisoners full-time work in the kitchen and restaurant, who gain catering and hospitality qualifications to help them gain employment upon their release.
Other inmates work at the farms and gardens at HMP Prescoed in Usk, Monmouthshire, where they plant, maintain and harvest crops while working towards horticultural qualifications.
The idea was created by award-winning chef Alberto Crisci, who set up the first restaurant at High Down prison in Surrey in 2009.
Meet the prisoners behind the success here.
TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Favourite Fine Dining Restaurants UK 2015:


Sutton United chairman Bruce Elliott hopes their FA Cup run will create memories which will sit alongside their previous exploits in the competition.

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The U's will host Championship club Leeds in the fourth round after beating AFC Wimbledon 3-1 on Tuesday.
The National League side famously beat Coventry, then in the top flight, at the third round stage in 1988-89.
"Coventry was great but the present team are writing their own bit of history," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"No-one will ever forget Coventry but won't it be nice to have something more up-to-date for our younger supporters to enjoy?"
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Sutton booked their place in the fourth round thanks to two late goals against the League One Dons in their third-round replay, having drawn the initial tie 0-0.
The tie against the Whites on Sunday, 29 January (14:00 GMT) will bring back memories of Sutton's first appearance in the fourth round in 1969-70, when Leeds beat the U's 6-0 at Gander Green Lane.
"Forty-seven years ago I was very young but I was there when we played Leeds in the fourth round," Elliott added. "Along with the two Wimbledon ties, it oozes nostalgia."
Sutton, who are 15th in the National League, are the lowest-ranked side left in the FA Cup,
With the tie against Leeds set to be televised, their earnings from their run are estimated to reach about £500,000 - money Elliott says will "come in handy".
He added: "I am an accountant by trade to it is inbred in me that we don't get carried away with it.
"It is a huge amount of money, and another sold-out gate for us. We will make sure it is used responsibly and wisely."


Former defender Clarke Carlisle has said he feels "no shame" about his recent suicide attempt.

Carlisle, who played for Burnley and QPR, tried to take his own life in December when he was hit by a lorry.
"People are delicate stepping around it - there's no shame invested in it for me," the 35-year-old said. "I attempted suicide because I was very unwell."
Carlisle was at the launch of a charter committed to tackling the stigma surrounding mental illness.
The Football Association, Rugby Football Union, Lawn Tennis Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board are among the sport governing bodies to have signed up to the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation.
Carlisle suffered cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and shattered left knee when he was struck by a lorry on the A64 near York on 22 December.
Afterwards he said he had been left severely depressed by the end of his football career, financial problems and the loss of a TV punditry role.
He left hospital six weeks after being struck, following treatment as an in-patient at a psychiatric unit.
A former chairman of players' union the Professional Footballers' Association, he added:  "I'm managing my illness on a daily basis and I can tell you today I'm very well."
The first footballer to appear on Question Time, Carlisle had previously spoken out about depression and suicide in professional sport and presented a BBC Three documentary on the subject.
On Monday, he pleaded guilty to failing to provide a sample to police on 20 December, at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, and will be sentenced on 14 May.


The percentage of primary school pupils going on unauthorised holidays during term-time has reached a record high, official figures have shown.

Last year 10.5% of all absences were down to holidays not agreed by schools - compared with 1.3% in 2011-12.
Welsh schools can authorise up to 10 days of absences per pupil, per year.
The Welsh Government said it was reviewing Welsh councils' use of fines to punish parents who break the rules.
Last year, then education minister Huw Lewis wrote to councils to say it was wrong to tell head teachers to ban all term-time leave after thousands of parents signed a petition against the Â£60 penalties.
The number of children aged between five and 11 being removed from class for term-time holidays, without permission, has risen every year since records detailing them began in 2011-12.
The number of half day sessions missed due to unauthorised holiday absences rose from 58,089 in 2011-12 to 424,760 in 2015-16.
However, because the number of authorised holidays has fallen over the same period, the total number of holiday absences has fallen from 920,500 to 788,841.
Mark Biltcliffe, head teacher of Drury Primary School in Flintshire and president of the National Association of Head Teachers in Wales, called for government-regulated tax incentives to discourage holiday companies from hiking up prices outside of term time.
"If people have got two or three children it is extremely expensive to go away on holiday, I think that needs looking at.
"There should be pressure on the holiday industry so they can't make these huge profits."
He told Good Morning Wales parents often asked for worksheets so children could keep up with what they are missing, but it was "not the same".
"Children do need to be in school every day and if they are not there then they're missing out on the teaching output and mixing with their friends
"It's about continuity and the input of the lesson, it's not the same doing worksheets on a beach in Spain."
In 2011-12, unauthorised holidays accounted for 1.3% of all absences, this increased to 10.5% in 2015-16, according to Welsh Government statistics.
During the same period, authorised holidays by primary school children in term-time decreased, from 19.3% in 2011-12 to 9% in 2015-16.
The percentage of secondary school pupils being taken out of class for holidays, without permission, increased from 0.8% to 3.6% in the same period.
Professor Ken Reid, former chairman of the Welsh Government's national review into behaviour and attendance, said missing 10 days of school every year would equal nearly a year's worth of work by the end of their school career - which he called "unacceptable" and "dangerous".
A Welsh Government spokesman said overall attendance figures were improving, with the number of secondary school pupils in Wales classed as "persistent absentees" - those who miss the equivalent of five weeks off - at an all time low in 2015-16.
He said: "Despite this progress, we can't afford to be complacent and will continue to act to improve attendance in all of our schools.
"Fixed penalty notices can be issued to address regular non-attendance at school and local authorities should have robust evidence before issuing a penalty."
Gareth Evans, director of education policy at the University of South Wales Trinity St Davids, said while improvements in overall absences were an encouraging sign, more needed to be done to stop children missing class.
He said: "Clearly the statistics are proof we are moving in the right direction, but while any one child is absent for a length of time there is still work to be done."


The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has condemned Russian hackers for leaking confidential medical files of star US Olympic athletes.

Athletes affected include tennis players Venus and Serena Williams and teenage gymnast Simone Biles.
A group calling itself "Fancy Bears" claimed responsibility for the hack of a Wada database.
After the leak, Ms Biles said she had long been taking medicine for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
The hacker group had accused her of taking an "illicit psycho-stimulant", but she said she had "always followed the rules".
The Rio Olympics quadruple gold medallist had obtained the necessary permission to take prescription medicine on the Wada banned drugs list, USA Gymnastics said in a statement.
Wada said in a statement that the cyber attacks were an attempt to undermine the global anti-doping system.
Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "out of the question" that the Kremlin or secret services were involved in the hacking, Russian news agencies reported.
The hackers accessed records detailing "Therapeutic Use Exemptions" (TUEs), which allow the use of banned substances due to athletes' verified medical needs.
"By virtue of the TUE, Biles has not broken any drug-testing regulations, including at the Olympic Games in Rio," USA Gymnastics said.
Fancy Bears said TUEs amount to "licences for doping".
The leaked documents allege that Serena Williams was granted permission to use drugs commonly used to treat muscle injuries, such as anti-inflammatories, while Biles is said to use Ritalin - a treatment for her ADHD.
Former - Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority head Richard Ings said: "Nothing I see here gives me cause for alarm," adding it looked "totally normal".
"The issue here is privacy breach."
Russia's track and field team were banned from the Rio Olympics over an alleged state-backed doping programme. All of its athletes are barred from the ongoing Paralympics.
"Let it be known that these criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia," Wada director-general Olivier Niggli said.
This is the latest twist in what was already the biggest doping scandal in the history of sport, and further evidence of the bitter divisions it has sparked.
The hack appears to be an act of revenge - retaliation for Wada's damning report into Russian state-sponsored cheating.
Although the Russian government has denied any involvement, it has always maintained that the country has been made a scapegoat for a much wider problem, and this will only add fuel to that fire.
Although the athletes concerned have broken no rules, the revelations - along with the threat of more leaks of other competitors' medical records - will inevitably exacerbate the controversy surrounding TUEs at a time when sport's leaders are desperately trying to restore trust.
Many athletes will now be nervously wondering if their private medical details records are the next to be made public.
And with the future of Wada currently in the balance, the fact its security was so badly compromised will raise more questions over the entire anti-doping system, especially after the account of Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova was hacked last month, leading to fears for her safety.
US Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart called the hack "cowardly and despicable".
"In each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication," he said.
The US Olympic Committee has had "zero adverse findings from the Rio Olympic Games that weren't 100% within the medical guidelines set forth by anti-doping authorities," spokesman Patrick Sandusky said.
Earlier this month, Mr Niggli said Wada was experiencing almost daily cyber attacks originating from Russia.
Fancy Bears, which is also known as Tsar Team (APT28), has pledged to release confidential records from other national Olympic teams.
It's an old adage in cybersecurity that the weakest point of any supposedly secure system is the people that use it.
Wada says it believes this hack was made possible thanks to a successful spearphishing attack. Phishing is a term given to the technique of tricking a user into giving up crucial information - often by clicking a link that takes them to a malicious website disguised as a familiar one, such as the log-in page for a bank or social network.
Spearphishing takes this one significant step further. While a phishing attack is often aimed at many people in the hope some will fall for it, spearphishing is highly targeted. Hackers perhaps identified a small number of people, or even just one person, and wrote a phishing attack specifically designed to trick them.
Other than pushing a message of vigilance among staff, spearphishing is incredibly difficult to defend against. Attackers often scour the internet, looking for added information on the target that might make an email more believable. Sometimes even knowing a person's favourite football team is enough to tip the balance in making a spearphishing email seem genuine.


Members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities are a third more likely to be in insecure work than white workers, says the TUC.

One in 20 white employees are on zero-hours or temporary work contracts.
The figure for ethnic minority workers is one in 13, according to the TUC report, which uses figures from the government's Labour Force Survey.
The report said the recent increase in temporary work was affecting the black community especially.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Black, Asian and ethnic minority workers are being forced into low-paid, insecure work. And it's getting worse."
She said a national strategy was needed "to confront racism in the labour market".
The number of black women on temporary contracts had risen 82% in the past five years, the TUC said.
Overall, there was a 58% rise in the number of black workers in non-permanent work.
The number of white workers in temporary work rose 8%, according to the report.
Hamja Ahsan, 36, is a second generation British-Asian with a Masters degree in art curation.
He quit his job as a gallery assistant a few days ago after being told there was no work that week.
He had been working there for two and a half years, but says his hours had been reduced to between zero and three hours a week.
"I've never had any security," he said. "My income will fluctuate month to month, week to week.
"It feels like I've been in this zone for ever. I feel very worthless."
Omar Khan, director of the race equality think tank Runnymede, said that the poorest black and Asian women were likely to be most affected.
"This research chimes with previous evidence that BME workers are more likely to be in insecure work.
"In addition to tighter regulation on insecure contracts and clamping down on discrimination, the next government should ensure that its policies - notably including the budget - reduce rather than increase income inequalities for [black and minority ethnic] BME people in general and BME women in particular," he said.
The TUC is calling for the next government to ban zero-hours contracts.


US-backed Syrian fighters paused their offensive near the Tabqa dam on Monday to let engineers check it and fix any damage affecting operations.

The Syrian Democratic Forces alliance is battling so-called Islamic State for control of the structure, which is on the River Euphrates west of Raqqa.
On Sunday, the US-led coalition against IS denied claims by the group that air strikes have damaged the dam.
But its former chief engineer warned the control room was "out of service".
The UN has warned that if the dam were to collapse, it could lead to flooding on a "massive scale" across Raqqa province and as far downstream as Deir al-Zour with "catastrophic humanitarian consequences".
About 60m (200ft) tall and stretching 4.5km (2.8 miles) across the eastern end of Lake Assad, the dam is Syria's largest.
IS captured the dam in 2014, giving it control of a vital reservoir and a hydroelectric power station that supplies large parts of the country.
The coalition also says the dam has been used by hundreds of IS foreign fighters as a headquarters, as a prison for high-profile hostages, as a training location and to plot attacks outside Syria.
Senior militants are said to have chosen to shelter at the dam because they believed the coalition would never bomb it and risk causing a flood.
The assault on the dam is part of a wider SDF offensive aimed at also driving IS militants from the nearby town of Tabqa and its airbase, which fell on Sunday.
On Sunday, IS said coalition air strikes had locked the dam's gates, causing water levels to rise dangerously behind the structure.
It published photographs showing what it said was the "burnt control room" and warned that the dam might collapse "at any moment".
Civilians living downstream in Raqqa - the de facto capital of the "caliphate" proclaimed by IS in June 2014 - were told to evacuate and many began leaving their homes, according to the activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently.
Later, the jihadist group reportedly sent cars around Raqqa with loudspeakers, telling people the dam was intact and they had no need to evacuate.
The coalition meanwhile insisted the dam had not been targeted by air strikes and had not been structurally damaged "to our knowledge".
It published aerial photographs apparently taken on Sunday and said the SDF was in control of a spillway to the north "that provides water to an irrigation reclamation canal which can be used to alleviate pressure on the dam if need be".
The coalition stressed that it was "taking every precaution to ensure the integrity", including by avoiding the use of high-explosive munitions in air strikes.
But on Monday afternoon, the SDF announced that it was halting its operations around the dam for several hours to "ensure the safety" of the structure.
It said engineers checked the structure during a four-hour pause in fighting. A statement on its Facebook page said there was no malfunction.
But one former dam engineer said the check could only be effective if it took more time and included the part controlled by IS.
The two groups currently control opposite ends of the 4.5km dam.
The SDF said its decision followed a request from the dam's administrators, without specifying whether they were part of the Syrian government or IS.
Abdul Jawad Sakran, a former chief of engineers at the dam who is based in Turkey but still in touch with people working there, told the BBC that the photos of the damaged control room were authentic.
The room was "completely out of service", which meant there was no way to monitor water and oil levels, hydraulics and power generation, he said.
Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Armenian militias opposed to IS established the umbrella group in northern Syria in October 2015.
Since then, its 50,000 fighters have seized about 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq miles) of territory with the help of coalition air strikes and special forces personnel.
Although the coalition estimates that about 60% of the SDF's fighters are Arabs, the force is led by the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia.
This has caused trouble for the US with a major ally, Turkey's government. It considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by the US and EU.
In response, the US has pledged to support only Arab groups within the SDF.


Ladies' Day, on the third day of Royal Ascot, is one of the biggest events in the British fashion calendar with many women braving daring millinery and flamboyant dresses.

The event is a major fixture of the social season and is traditionally the busiest day of the five-day meet.
Despite a strict dress code - with the Royal enclosure banning strapless dresses and enforcing the wearing of hats - bold prints, candy floss colours and classic dresses are the order of the day for ladies in attendance.
Here is a collection of the memorable, and some of the more questionable, headwear choices.


Two boys have been rescued by emergency services after getting stuck on cliffs in Edinburgh.

Members of the public called 999 after seeing the young boys more than half way up Salisbury Crags at Arthur's Seat.
The police said they received a call just before 16:00 about two boys being in "trouble on the cliff face".
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the boys had now been rescued.


It was only just light when the French president led his British guest to the Bataclan site.

For David Cameron, in Paris for private talks and public declarations, this wordless gesture was perhaps the most important statement of all.
Together with his host, he laid a single white rose at the makeshift memorial outside the concert hall where 89 people, including one British man, were killed on 13 November.
But President Francois Hollande is looking for more than symbolic solidarity from his allies.  Over the past ten days, he's repeatedly said his country is "at war" with the so-called Islamic State, and has intensified air strikes over IS targets in Syria. Now he wants to know what his British ally will do to help.
Europe's two military giants have both carried out strikes in Iraq, and British forces have helped with intelligence and refuelling over Syria.  But so far the UK Parliament has refused to sanction RAF air strikes in Syria.
Mr Hollande may well be hoping that the UN Security Council resolution last week, which called on member states to take "all necessary measures" to challenge IS in Iraq and Syria, will have changed Mr Cameron's assessment and lead him to ask parliament again.
The prime minister, who is due to present a comprehensive defence plan to parliament later this week, gave a strong personal endorsement to the French leader's stance.
"I firmly support the action that President Hollande has taken to strike (IS) in Syria and it is my firm conviction that Britain should do so too," he said.
He also offered France the use of Britain's Akrotiri military base in Cyprus to help with operations and refuelling.
But this is just the start of Mr Hollande's week of diplomacy.  After his meeting with David Cameron, he flies to Washington to discuss the situation with US President Barack Obama, before coming back to Paris for a meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.
The emphasis in each meeting will be slightly different.  Aside from the need to assess the US-led military strategy in the Middle East, there are growing calls from European leaders to improve intelligence and data sharing.
Security forces in both France and Belgium have been embarrassed by revelations that key suspects behind the Paris attacks moved around freely in the weeks leading up to the assaults, and in the days afterwards, even passing through checkpoints with apparent ease.
And hanging over all the discussion of military and technical co-ordination is the elusive goal of a political solution in Syria which could help eradicate the militants' territory and source of revenue.  That is likely to be central to Thursday's talks in Moscow, between Mr Hollande and Vladimir Putin, his fourth foreign leader in as many days.
As experts point out, France - with its historically cordial ties to Russia, its membership of Nato, and its presence in the Middle East region - is in a unique position to help procure an agreement, and with it greater security at home.
In the meantime, Mr Hollande has a few other things on his mind, not least preparing for the UN Climate Conference which begins at the end of the month.  Oh, and the regional elections, in which Mr Hollande's Socialist party is tipped to come third, behind the main centre-right opposition and the far-right Front National.
If nothing else, Mr Hollande can perhaps take comfort from an eight percentage point spike in his previously dismal approval ratings, which now hover around the 30% mark.  Whether he manages to maintain that figure as time goes on and attention returns to the economy is another question.
As one newspaper article put it this weekend, three years into his term of office, President Hollande is seen as "a bad captain in a fair wind, but a good leader for tough times."


Rail and bus operator Stagecoach Group has reported a 15.3% drop in full-year pre-tax profit.

It has also been hit with a Â£84m charge at its unprofitable Virgin East Coast rail franchise, of which it owns 90%.
Chief executive Martin Griffiths said revenue growth on the line had not met the expectations envisaged when it bid for the franchise in 2013-14.
After the announcement, Stagecoach's shares were trading down 11% at 180p, the lowest level since December 2009.
At midday in London, they had recovered slightly, but were still down 9% on the day.
The group said it was making provisions to reflect losses over the next two years on the East Coast Line, which connects London and Edinburgh.
"But based on our contractual position, I am confident that Virgin Trains East Coast will become profitable again from 2019 onwards," Mr Griffiths said.
He said Perth-based Stagecoach was currently talking to the government about new terms for the contract, but that those conversations were not progressing as quickly as hoped because they have straddled a general election.
Mr Griffiths said he expected a deal to be agreed in the next 12 months.
However, Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said the franchise should be renationalised.
"RMT warned that reprivatising East Coast, after it had been successfully run in the public sector following the last private failure, was a gamble doomed to failure," he said.
"We have been proved right. This is the third private operator to run the vital East Coast intercity routes into the ground and rather than waiting for the inevitable financial collapse, it should be brought back into public ownership immediately."


Campaigners fighting for the release of convicted murderer Jeremy Bamber have started a petition asking for documents relating to his case to be released.

Bamber, 54, is serving a whole life term for killing five members of his family in Essex in 1985.
His supporters say documents they believe police withheld under "public interest immunity" should be released.
Essex Police said there had "never been anything to suggest he was wrongly convicted".
Bamber has always denied killing his adoptive parents, his sister and her six-year-old twin sons at a farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy.
He claims his schizophrenic sister Sheila Caffell shot her family before turning the gun on herself.
Those who believe he is innocent say documents, including handwritten logs, statements, photographs and medical records they claim were withheld under "public interest immunity" principles, should be disclosed.
The principles can be invoked by police when material could be considered capable of undermining the case for the prosecution.
"As 30 years have now elapsed since the tragedy took place, there is no beneficial reason for withholding the documents and photographs by refusing disclosure under public interest immunity or for any other reason," campaigners wrote.
"The public have a right to insist that they are released to his defence counsel forthwith so that a fresh appeal can be lodged on Jeremy's behalf."
An Essex Police spokeswoman said the force had "no comment to make on these claims given that Jeremy Bamber's conviction has been subject to several appeals and reviews by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and there has never been anything to suggest he was wrongly convicted".


On a hillside high above the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, the Zaisan Memorial commemorates the soldiers who lost their lives in World War II.

Mongolians helped the Soviets defeat the Nazis and, for decades after, Moscow's influence was strongest here.
But these days China pours more money into this country than any other does. Some of it is aid.  Some of it is investment.
China's People's Liberation Army has handed over nearly $3m (Â£1.95m) this year in aid to the Mongolian military.
At a signing ceremony at the defence ministry, senior officers from both countries toasted each other after two generals signed their latest agreement. Everyone smiled.
But some Mongolians are suspicious of these close ties. They want to know what China really wants.
They suspect their powerful neighbour is a bully, not a benefactor, and that such co-operation could, in time, start to undermine the Mongolian way of life.
The signs of their resentment are not hard to find.  Swastikas and slogans are daubed on walls across the city.
On the internet the groups show how they are fighting back against what they see as attempts to dilute the Mongolian race.
A YouTube video shows a man shaving the head of a Mongolian woman. Next to her a Chinese man sits with his hands over his face.
It is a very public warning to Mongolian women. This is what happens if you sleep with Chinese men.
It was posted by a member of a far-right group called Dayar Mongol.
Erdenebileg Zenemyadar is its founder. His group's website shows members carrying Nazi flags.  The swastika is part of the group's logo.
However, he insists he is a nationalist, not a Nazi.  He comes to meet us in traditional dress - the kind of outfit nomadic herders wear out on the steppes.
His organisation is blamed by human rights groups for dozens of attacks on women, foreigners and others they see as threatening the purity of their race.
Violence he condemns, but he defends the shaving of the woman's head.
"I think this is right," he says.  "If you ask the Mongolian people what they think about it, the majority of people would support that act."
While he says his organisation does not order or sanction attacks, he offers this explanation for them.
"Young people see foreigners breaking the law and they're not happy," he says. "So they're threatening them, sometimes robbing them.  It's wrong but it's happening a lot.
"Sometimes they are our members but the majority are not.  Maybe they're our supporters but we don't know them."
One of his members joins our conversation.  Soronzon Jamsran is 28 years old.  He is an electrician and a new recruit to Dayar Mongol.
He is wearing combat trousers, a black t-shirt and, round his neck, a swastika on a chain.
"In Mongolian we call this the khas symbol," he says.
"Germany's nationalists tried to cleanse their nation, so for me [the swastika] stands for keeping our nation pure. It's not like I support Germany or I'm a Nazi. It's just nationalism."
Robyn Garner, a gay activist in Ulan Bator, is sympathetic to the concerns many Mongolians have about the activities of foreign corporations here.
"You have a large section of the population watching resources, assets being sold off to foreigners," she says.
"I can understand that people are looking for scapegoats, for ideologies to channel their concerns."
But she is worried that the discontent is fuelling the violent agenda of the far-right groups who are targeting her community.
Two transgender women had to flee the country after they were assaulted.
A 19-year-old gay man was stripped and beaten in the suburbs after leaving a monthly gay party.
Otgonbaatar Tsedendemberel, another activist, says he has to be constantly on guard against the threat of attack when walking down the street.
"I'm in constant fear," he says, "and unless we do something it's just going to get worse and worse."
Luvsandendev Sumati, a Mongolian opinion pollster, points out that in the 2008 parliamentary elections, the party associated with these far-right groups won less than 1% of the vote.
They are still operating on the margins, he argues, although he does feel they reflect concerns that many share here.
"Small cultures are dissipating and disappearing," he said.
"It's a real threat. In some ways Mongolian society should react to that. The question is will it react in a civilised way or will it try to go to extremes?"
Some here argue these groups are adopting the symbols of the Nazis because they are not yet a strong enough political force to create their own ideology.
But those targeted by them feel they are a real threat and their influence is growing.
Perhaps that is no surprise.  We found one city centre bar filled with Nazi memorabilia.
There were swastikas painted on the floor, reproductions of propaganda posters on the wall, even mannequins dressed in Nazi uniforms.
Inside there were not extremists, just girls on a night out, a couple drinking quietly in one corner - no-one, it appeared, giving a second thought to the idea that these symbols would provoke offence elsewhere.
The threats, the violence, the use of Nazi symbols all help to garner attention for the extremist groups here - Nazis or nationalists, the label does not really matter.
They seem to enjoy the notoriety it brings.
The challenge for Mongolia's authorities will be to address the concerns that fuel their anger and resentment and win them support, while limiting their opportunity to do real harm.


Goldman Sachs reported a slump in fourth quarter profits as payments from legal settlements ate into earnings.

Profits fell by 70% to $574m (Â£404m) from the same quarter in 2014. It's the third quarter in a row of falling profits for the bank.
Its latest results were hit by a $1.95bn in legal fees stemming from the financial crisis.
The Wall Street bank reported fourth quarter net revenue of $7.2bn (Â£5bn) down 5% from the same period in 2014.
The bank announced in January it had reached a deal with the US Department of Justice to pay a total of $5.1bn in civil penalties and consumer relief stemming from the sale of mortgage backed securities.
Part of that bill was charged to the latest quarterly results.
Goldman Sachs was the last of the big US banks to report earnings for 2015.
Its shares fell slightly in early trading. Analysts had predicted the Goldman Sachs would report earnings of $3.53 per share but the bank disappointed with earnings per share only reaching $1.27.


Business leaders in Sussex have written to David Cameron urging him to back a new runway at Gatwick, despite the recent Airports Commission's decision.

The letter, signed by 26 business figures, said they were "disappointed" Sir Howard Davies's report recommended that Heathrow was expanded.
In July, the commission said a third runway at the west London airport would make the most money for the economy.
Heathrow said more than 270 business figures publically supported its plans.
The business leaders who signed the letter sent to the prime minister included 15 chamber of commerce presidents, the chairman of the Gatwick Diamond Imitative and regional representative of the Federation of Small Businesses in East Sussex.
They claim "flaws" in the commission's report include an under estimation of the number of passengers that would use Gatwick by 2024 and a lack of acknowledgement of how many business travellers use the airport.
The letter also argues that a second runway at Gatwick can be delivered at "lower cost and risk" than expansion at Heathrow.
"We will continue to press for you and your government to ultimately choose Gatwick, as we believe it to be the right choice for the country and for the region," it states.
A spokesman for Heathrow said business leaders from across the UK were firmly behind their plans for a third runway and wrote to the prime minister in July urging him to implement the commission's recommendation.
"The Airports Commission undertook a Â£20m, two-and-a-half year, detailed study of where the next runway should be in the UK," he added.
"It unanimously and unambiguously chose Heathrow because it is the only option that will connect the whole UK to global growth."
The final decision on which airport will get the new runway will be made by the government by the end of the year.


Mae dwy gymuned yng ngogledd Cymru wedi agor eu mentrau cymdeithasol yn swyddogol ddydd Sadwrn ble bydden nhw'n cynhyrchu ynni o afonnydd ac yn gwneud arian yr un pryd.

Bydd trigolion Llanberis a Bethesda yn derbyn eu cyflenwad trydan o gynllun hydro newydd drwy ddefnyddio dŵr glaw sy'n disgyn yn Eryri.
Mae'r dŵr sy'n llifo yn Afon Goch ger Llanberis ac Afon Ogwen ym Methesda yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gynhyrchu trydan drwy ddefnyddio technoleg hydro.
Mae mentrau hydro Padarn Peris a Dyffryn Ogwen yn ddau o nifer o gynlluniau tebyg sydd bellach yn gwerthu trydan i'r grid cenedlaethol.
Bydd y cynllun yn cyflenwi trydan i drigolion cymunedau sydd wedi cyfrannu £700,000 rhwng y ddau brosiect.
Mae'r corff syn cynrychioli mentrau fel Ynni Padarn yn dweud fod cynnydd yn nhrethi'r mentrau, ar gyfartaledd o 300%.
Mae llywodraeth yr Alban yn cynnig ad-daliad trethi busnes i fentrau cymunedol o'r fath 100%, tra bod unrhyw gynnydd yn Lloegr ddim mwy na £600.
Mae gobaith bydd y fenter yn gwneud elw i'r bobl sydd wedi buddsoddi yn y ddau gynllun.
Dywedodd Cyfarwyddwr Ynni Ogwen / Peris, Keith Jones, fyddai pobl yn derbyn rhwng £25,000 i £40,000 yn ôl i'r cymunedau i helpu gyda phrosiectau cynaliadwy.
Ond ychwanegodd bod pryder ynglŷn â faint o drethi busnes bydd yn rhaid ei dalu.
"Dwi'n gofyn i lywodraeth San Steffan am help.
"Rydym yn gwybod bod rhaid i ni dalu trethi, mae hynny ond yn deg ond pan mae 30% o'ch elw cyfan yn mynd ar dreth, does 'na'r un busnes yn gallu goroesi", meddai.
Aelod Cynulliad Plaid Cymru dros Arfon, Sian Gwenllian agorodd y cynllun yn swyddogol yn Llanberis ac mae hi'n awyddus i geisio datrys y broblem dreth.
"Mae 'na ateb reit syml i'r broblem," meddai.
"Mae'r Alban wedi rhoi gostyngiad i gynlluniau ynni cymunedol fel bod nhw ddim yn gorfod talu cymaint ar drethi busnes.
"Mi fase gostyngiad yn gwneud byd o wahaniaeth neu mae peryg i'r elw cymunedol fynd ar goll a'i lyncu yn llwyr ar drethi busnes.
"Mae 'na weledigaeth i gynyddu ynni cymunedol ar un llaw ond ychydig bach o ddal yn ôl pan mae'n dod at helpu'r cynlluniau hynny ar drethi busnes.
"Mi fyddai cael gostyngiad yn arwydd clir fod Llywodraeth Cymru o blaid ynni adnewyddol, meddai."
Dwedodd llefarydd ar ran Mark Drakeford Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros gyllid a llywodraeth leol: "Bydd cynllun newydd o gymorth gyda threthi busnes yn cael ei gyflwyno flwyddyn nesa."
Dywedodd hefyd ei fod yn "barod i wrando ar geisiadau unigol".


Indian police have arrested nine people they suspect of colluding to illegally construct a high-rise residential building in Mumbai which collapsed, killing 74 people.

Those arrested include two builders, police officers and municipality officials.
The apartment building came crashing down on Thursday.
Correspondents say building collapses are common in India, with poor construction practices often blamed.
In pictures: Mumbai building collapse
There is huge demand for housing, and corruption often leads to cost-cutting and a lack of safety inspections, correspondents say.
Police commissioner K P Raghuvanshi said the builders were arrested for allegedly paying bribes to police and municipal officials to construct the building in the Mumbai suburb of Thane without any official sanction.
Mr Raghuvanshi said on Sunday that the nine would be formally charged with culpable homicide and causing death by negligence, once the investigation into the accident had been completed.
If convicted, they face sentences of up to life in prison.
Most of the victims of the Thane collapse were poor daily wage earners working at the site, and their families. The dead included 30 children and 18 women.
Building work had continued at the block even though four floors were already occupied.
One police official told the BBC that the collapse appeared to have been caused by the use of substandard building material.
Witnesses said the construction of the building started just six weeks ago, since when seven floors had been built. The eighth floor was under construction.
In a similar collapse in 2010, 69 people were killed in Delhi.


China's President Xi Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert greater control over the armed forces.

Mr Xi is now commander in chief of the military's Joint Operations Command Centre.
State media showed him visiting the centre wearing camouflage fatigues.
China's foreign policy has become increasingly assertive in recent years, especially on its claims to disputed territories in the South China Sea.
Mr Xi is already General Secretary of the Communist Party, and chair of the Central Military Commission, which manages the People's Liberation Army.
China military plane lands on disputed reef
Cult of personality: Why is China dancing for 'Uncle Xi'?
Correspondents say that, given Mr Xi's consolidation of power in China, the move will be interpreted by some as a propaganda message that he is now in absolute control.
Analysis: John Sudworth, BBC News, Beijing
As Shakespeare once wrote, what's in a name?
We probably shouldn't make too much of the new commander in chief title. The fact that it has been bestowed on President Xi by the country's state-run media certainly does imply some kind of official approval.
But he was already in military command, everyone knew that, and to most Chinese ears the phrase is unlikely to conjure up the same resonances as it does in English translation, with its obvious link to the seat of US military power.
President Xi is, we're told, commander in chief of the new Joint Operations Command. It sits at the heart of his vision of a new, leaner, more technically sophisticated Chinese military.
The title, if anything, underlines what we already knew: China is modernising its armed forces fast, and Xi Jinping is at the centre of that change.
During his visit to the centre on Wednesday, which was widely publicised in state media, he said the armed forces should be "absolutely loyal" and "capable of winning wars".
Experts say his appearance in military fatigues may also be a display of strength aimed at China's rivals.
China and several of its neighbours are locked in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.


Eurozone banks have rushed to take out cheap three-year loans offered by the European Central Bank, borrowing 489bn euros ($643bn; Â£375bn).

The central bank had originally hoped to lend up to 450bn euros to stop another credit crunch crippling the banking system.
Over 500 banks raced to borrow from the scheme, which was far beyond market expectations.
The euro rose sharply on the news, but then fell back later.
When the plan was announced, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said banks could use the money to invest in eurozone sovereign debt.
However, analysts were uncertain if banks will use the money in this way.
"The very heavy take-up of the ECB's three-year, long-term refinancing operation provides some encouragement that banks' liquidity needs are being amply met," said Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics.
"But while this might help to address recent signs of renewed tensions in credit markets and support bank lending, we remain sceptical of the idea that the operation will ease the sovereign debt crisis too as banks use the funds to purchase large volumes of peripheral government bonds."
This was the European Central Bank's first offer of three-year loans and was the largest amount of money the central bank has injected into the financial system, beating the 450bn euros it put in with its 2009 one-year loans offer.
By Stephanie FlandersEconomics editor, BBC News
Read Stephanie's blog in full
Although the offer was seen as a success, its impact on the eurozone economy is still uncertain.
"This is good. It's a positive number, at the top end of expectations. You have to regard it as a positive result. But it is still short of covering all of the banks' financing for next year," said James Nixon at Societe Generale.
Borrowing money though the ECB's loans and using it to buy sovereign debt has been dubbed 'Sarkozy trade' after the French president encouraged banks to use the money to buy national debts when the loan offer was announced.
However, some suggest the money will just be used to boost bank balance sheets, especially since the ECB lowered its collateral requirements when it announced the loans, enabling weaker banks to apply for the funds.
"A cash for trash mechanism allowing banks to access cheap funds and buy up more sovereign debt - or more likely just shore up their own finances," is how Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management described the scheme.
By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News
Read Robert's blog in full
Carsten Brzeski at ING, said: "The good news is that banks won't have to worry about liquidity for three years and that it has already pushed down government yields, as banks are buying them to use as collateral".
"However, whether the ECB's hopes that the money will filter through to the real economy will be fulfilled remains to be seen."
The success of the offer initially had a positive impact on European stock markets, but the effect was short-lived and in afternoon trade several markets were trading lower on the day.
The ECB's move comes in the wake of turbulent times for the eurozone that have hit peripheral eurozone economies such as Greece, the Irish Republic and Portugal, and started to affect major economies such as Italy and Spain.
Banks in all these countries have lent large amounts of money to their national governments, and others in the eurozone, by buying sovereign bonds which have, historically, been seen as relatively safe investments.
Interest rates for these bonds, known as yields, have been rising during the past few months, reflecting a higher risk that a country may default. Italian yields, for example, hit a record 7% in November.
The banks that are left holding large amounts of eurozone sovereign debt are in turn seen as risky by money markets who force them to pay more to borrow money.
This situation encourages banks to lend less themselves, which trickles down to consumers and small businesses, which find it harder to get loans.
The ECB's three-year loans are designed to free up lending and avoid the kind of credit crunch that saw inter-bank lending dry up in 2008.
Although the ECB has ruled out lending directly to countries, banks taking the three-year loans at 1% are being encouraged to invest in sovereign debt at 6% to 7%.
This not only provides a lucrative return for the banks, but increases demand for sovereign debt, helping countries such as Italy and Spain that need to raise money.


Wall Street closed lower on Thursday, led by tech stocks, reflecting concerns they are over-valued.

The S&P 500 technology sector dropped 0.5% after declines in index heavyweights such as Apple, Microsoft and Facebook.
The fall follows a two-day selloff that started Friday.
Investors have been profit-taking in a sector that had risen 16.7% this year, outperforming other sectors.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.47%, to 6,16.5 points and and the S&P 500 index fell 0.22% to 2,432.46 points.
The Dow Jones was steadier, closing down 0.07% at 21,359.9 points.
"Stocks have been at all-time highs and valuations are somewhat priced to perfection so a little bit of a pullback is not too surprising," said Myles Clouston, senior director at Nasdaq Advisory Services in New York.
"We may see the market take a breather in the next few sessions, but it is not necessarily doom and gloom."
Nike was among the biggest losers on Thursday, after the sportswear maker announced a restructuring plan that includes cutting 2% of its workforce and the number of shoe styles by a quarter.
The company said it would focus on key brands such as ZoomX, Air VaporMax and Nike React. The firm's shares fell 3.2%.
On the S&P, the supermarket chain Kroger plunged almost 18.9% after cutting its full-year profit forecast, while Toy maker Mattel fell 6.7% after cutting its dividend.


League Two side Notts County have signed York City striker Vadaine Oliver on a six-month loan deal.

The 24-year-old scored 10 goals in 42 appearances last season as the Minstermen were relegated to the National League.
Former Sheffield Wednesday trainee Oliver will remain at Meadow Lane until 7 January 2017.
He has previously had spells at Lincoln City, Crewe Alexandra and Mansfield Town.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Thousands of Chinese tourists have been stranded for up to 10 hours at a famous beauty spot after the shuttle bus system failed.

The problem at Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan began when some holidaymakers stopped a number of buses from moving because they could not get on board.
This triggered a chain reaction that disrupted the park's entire transport system.
Afterwards, hundreds of tourists gathered demanding their money back.
The incident happened at one of China's most famous natural parks, renowned for its mountains, lakes and waterfalls, during this week's national holiday, which celebrates the establishment of communist China in 1949.
In a statement, park officials said the the problem began at about noon when a group of impatient tourists stopped several buses, the only vehicles allowed to take visitors around the reserve.
This meant coaches waiting on the roads behind were unable to move.
Tired of waiting, many other tourists then got out and started to walk, causing more delays on the roads.
No-one is allowed to stay overnight in the Unesco World Heritage site, but by 19:00 there were still 4,000 people stranded.
They had all been ferried out of the park, in a Tibetan area of Sichuan province, by 22:00.
But photographs posted online show that hundreds gathered outside the reserve's main gates demanding their money back. Many blamed officials for letting in too many people in the first place.
Most Chinese holidaymakers visit tourist sites during national holidays, leading to complaints about overcrowding.
One internet commentator wrote: "Terrible traffic jams in beautiful places shows there is a lot of catching up to do in terms of capacity for mass tourism."
But the park seemed to blame the tourists for Wednesday's incident.
"When you visit Jiuzhaigou scenic area, co-operate with park staff and show respect for order," officials said in a statement.


The president of Sri Lanka has said foreign judges and prosecutors should not be involved in an investigation into allegations of war crimes.

In a BBC interview, President Maithripala Sirisena said the country did not need to "import" specialists.
Both the army and the Tamil Tiger rebels are accused of atrocities in the civil war that ended in 2009.
The government previously backed a UN resolution calling for a war crimes court supported by foreign judges.
But on Thursday the president said: "I will never agree to international involvement in this matter."
"We have more than enough specialists, experts and knowledgeable people in our country to solve our internal issues," he said.
Read more: Main war crimes allegations
"This investigation should be internal and indigenous, without violating the laws of the country, and I believe in the judicial system and other relevant authorities in this regard.
"The international community need not worry about matters of state interest."
Asked when the court might be set up, he said: "These things cannot be done instantly or in a hurried manner.
"We will certainly reach our target but it's a process."
In October 2015, Sri Lanka co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for a special judicial mechanism to prosecute war crimes to be established - with support from Commonwealth and foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators.
As many as 100,000 people are thought to have died in the Sri Lankan civil conflict.
The final months of the 26-year war were the most bloody, with the government accused of repeatedly shelling safe zones set up to protect civilians. The Tamil Tiger rebels were accused of holding civilians as human shields and firing on those who tried to flee. Both sides denied the allegations.
President Sirisena said that while the UN report released in September 2015 had pointed to army involvement in war crimes, the report had failed to mention names. He said it was important to determine whether such crimes actually took place.
He said: "If the Sri Lankan Army is alleged for such crimes, our concern should be to free them from those allegations. If anyone has committed a crime, there's no doubt that they should be punished. However it is wrong to make the entire army guilty for what happened."
The president also dismissed reports from the advocacy group Freedom from Torture that people in detention were still being tortured.
Saying the claims were made by people who were close to the Tamil Tigers, President Sirisena added: "I totally deny that. If some one can prove with evidence, I am ready to give them the opportunity. Justice is served equally in this country."


What are your rights when a trader has ceased trading or has "gone bust"?

For consumers this is an upsetting but all too frequent event in these difficult economic times, and it helps to know your options.
Often a business will cease trading suddenly.
You may have paid a deposit for undelivered goods, have bought goods that are faulty, or be in possession of a gift card.
You will probably not know whether you will be able to get your money back.
What you can do depends on the reason for the trader stopping, and on the legal status of the business - whether it was a sole trader, a partnership, or a limited company.
The first thing you should do is to find out whether the trader has actually gone bust or simply decided to close down.
If a business has simply decided to cease trading, you can still pursue any claim you have for faulty or misdescribed goods from them in the normal way, using the small claims court if necessary.
The legal contact details of the trader should appear on the receipt you received with your goods.
The next step is to find out if the entity you are dealing with is a person, or a limited company - this information will have a big impact on your rights to get your money or your goods back.
Establishing a limited company is a legal way of limiting the liability of those who run the company in a bankruptcy.
A company can be dissolved and those that ran it may not liable for any of the company debts.
You can find out if a company is limited because it will be registered at Companies House - telephone the contact centre on 0303 1234 500 or visit the website www.companieshouse.co.uk.
If the company has gone into administration, you need to find out who has been appointed as administrator - there will usually be  a notice of this at the trading premises and at the registered office.
Whether or not gift cards will continue to be accepted, or consumers will be able to exchange goods or obtain refunds, will be decided by the administrator.
It is worth following the news and keeping an eye on your local store as these decisions may change as the situation develops.
If the trader was a sole trader or partnership, you can continue to pursue any claim you may have against the trader, via the small claims court if necessary.
You can commence an action for the recovery of debt online through the official Money Claim Online website, or in person at your local county court.
You will have to pay a fee and it is important to bear in mind that even if you win, there is no guarantee the trader will pay.
It is wise to ensure the defendant has sufficient assets to pay their debt before going to court.
If a limited company becomes insolvent and cannot pay its debts, a liquidator will be appointed to collect and redistribute all the company's assets to the creditors.
If you are owed money, for example because your gift card was not settled or your goods were not delivered, you are a creditor.
It is important to register yourself as such with the administrators as soon as possible, to be within a chance of getting some of your money back, or obtaining the goods you may already have paid for.
You will need to show that you really were the buyer of those goods, by means of a confirmation receipt for example.
So how else might you be able to get your money back?
If you have faulty goods that have a manufacturer's or third-party warranty, for example electrical items, you should be able to claim on this warranty to get a repair or replacement.
Check for any documentation that came with the item.
If you made any part of the purchase with a credit card and the price of a single item was above £100, you should able to claim from the credit card issuer under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Contact your credit card company for more information.
If the goods were purchased on a Visa or Mastercard debit card, then you may be able to claim under the Chargeback procedure.
There is no minimum limit on the price you paid for the goods, but generally you need to register your claim within 120 days of the date you bought the goods or placed the deposit on the card.
Some card providers my have a different time limit on making claims.
You can also use Chargeback for a purchase on a credit card that cost less than £100.  To make such a claim contact your card issuer.
Finally, to be sure you have all the advice you need relevant to your individual situation, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline 0845 4 04 05 06, who will be able advise you and point you in the right direction.
They will also be able to refer matters to the relevant trading standards authority, if there is any allegation of illegal activity.
So, while there are a few things consumers can do in this situation, a lot will depend on the success of the administration process and on the severity of the business's financial situation.
Consumers who take immediate advice, and act fast, can have the best chance of recouping some of their losses - but it is wise to keep expectations low.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by the BBC unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Links to external sites are for information only and do not constitute endorsement. Always obtain independent professional advice for your own particular situation.


Edinson Cavani scored four first-half goals as champions Paris St-Germain ended a three-game winless run in all competitions to beat Caen in Ligue 1.

The Uruguayan striker, who was replaced by Jese at half-time, opened the scoring from Maxwell's cross before converting a penalty.
He then turned home another Maxwell cross and guided a fourth goal past Remy Vercoutre before being withdrawn.
Lucas Moura and Jean-Kevin Augustin smashed home second-half efforts.
Cavani had been criticised for missing a host of chances in Tuesday's 1-1 Champions League draw with Arsenal.
PSG, chasing their fifth consecutive French title, won the league by 31 points last season, but have already lost a game this season under Unai Emery, who replaced Laurent Blanc in the summer.
It is PSG's second 6-0 win over Caen in five months, having also thrashed them in the closing weeks of last season.
Match ends, Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 6.
Second Half ends, Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 6.
Attempt missed. Ismael Diomande (Caen) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Romain Genevois with a headed pass.
Corner,  Caen. Conceded by Thomas Meunier.
Attempt blocked. Emmanuel Imorou (Caen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Jesé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot.
Attempt blocked. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Moura with a cross.
Jesé (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Romain Genevois (Caen).
Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Emmanuel Imorou (Caen).
Goal!  Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 6. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot.
Attempt missed. Ismael Diomande (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ivan Santini.
Attempt missed. Ivan Santini (Caen) right footed shot from very close range is too high.
Attempt saved. Ivan Santini (Caen) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Vincent Bessat.
Foul by Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint Germain).
Ivan Santini (Caen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Julien Féret (Caen).
Attempt missed. Jesé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jean-Kevin Augustin.
Substitution, Caen. Emmanuel Imorou replaces Yann Karamoh.
Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Thiago Motta replaces Blaise Matuidi.
Goal!  Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 5. Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Jean-Kevin Augustin.
Attempt missed. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot.
Attempt blocked. Ismael Diomande (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Moura.
Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Ismael Diomande (Caen).
Foul by Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain).
Syam Ben Youssef (Caen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Jean-Kevin Augustin replaces Ángel Di María.
Attempt missed. Vincent Bessat (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint Germain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint Germain).
Yann Karamoh (Caen) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Romain Genevois (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Yann Karamoh (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ronny Rodelin.
Hand ball by Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain).
Attempt missed. Maxwell (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Ángel Di María following a corner.
Corner,  Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Damien Da Silva.