THE parents of a man who was murdered in India say they are being kept 'in the dark' about the investigations surrounding his death.

Michael Blakey, 23, of Mayfair Road, Pike Hill, was working for the Tong-Len Charitable Trust, helping refugee families in northern India when he was killed in November.

His parents, Mary Whitford and Paul Blakey, have said they have not heard anything from the Indian police apart from their report sent over with his belongings.

Michael's body was found at the end of November buried beneath rocks in a gully near the Anglican church where he worshipped, five days after he had gone missing from a nearby monastery where he was staying.

Mrs Whitford, who now lives in Kings Lynn, in Norfolk, said: "It's quite a difficult situation. If someone dies in this country you get a lot of support but we have not had any because he died abroad.

"It is frustrating not being told what is happening with the investigations either by the Foreign Office or the Indian police.

"It's at a standstill."

Earlier this year in January the organisation Michael worked for in India said police were investigating whether a man with "a grudge against Westerners" was behind the murder of the Burnley charity worker.

Anna Owen, 64, who runs the British arm of the charity, said police had told her they were now looking into the possibility that a local man suspected of other attacks was behind the university graduate's death.

Ms Owen, launched an appeal in December to raise £20,000 to buy a piece of land to build a centre in honour of Michael to continue Tong Len's work.

Michael's parents, who are seperated, attended the latest fundraising evening at Colne Municipal Hall which raised £2,500 bringing the total to over £19,800.

Mr Blakey said: "We have all sorts of things planned and I am confident we will reach the £20,000 by December.

"The fundraising night at the Munipical went really well but this is just the start because we will need to raise another £100,000 to build the centre.

"We are hoping to scatter Michael's ashes there once building starts.

"Unfortunately I don't know what is happening with the investigation."

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