Fishermen find killed Briton's body

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The body of a British yachtsman allegedly murdered by three pirates has been found, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.

Three Burmese migrants have been accused of slitting the throat of 64-year-old Malcolm Robertson and throwing his body overboard when they raided his yacht as he sailed with wife Linda off the Andaman sea coast off Thailand last week.



A spokeswoman for the FCO confirmed a body found on Monday has been confirmed as that of businessman Mr Robertson, from Hastings, East Sussex.

Reports in Thailand said his body was recovered by fishermen about 10 nautical miles north of Satun's Lipeh Island.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "A body recovered by the Thai authorities on Monday has been identified as Mr Robertson. Our thoughts are with Mrs Robertson and her family at this difficult time. The embassy team with them is providing consular support."

The discovery ends a week of anxiety for Mr Robertson's family, who had to endure several false reports of his body being found.

Three migrant workers from neighbouring Burma who were arrested on a raft about half a mile from the couple's 44ft yacht were charged with kidnap, assault and theft.

But Thai authorities said they could not bring a murder charge until they found Mr Robertson's body.

He owned a chain of coffee shops in and around his home town of Hastings and St Leonards but passed the running of the business to his children in recent years and was semi-retired.

He was fulfilling a lifelong dream by spending the winter months sailing around warmer climes in his yacht, named Mr Bean, with his wife. They were both qualified yacht masters who had sailed round the world.