THE British Embassy in Honduras is working with local officials to repatriate the body of a tourist from Leigh murdered for his camera.

The distraught family of Omer Kaya, 33, of Braemer Crescent, Leigh, who was shot dead by muggers in the Central American country last Tuesday, want the British citizen to be buried in his home town of Atalya, southern Turkey.

Emre Kars, 30, of Princes Street, Southend, who is acting as next of kin in England, said: “We want him to be taken to Turkey rather than England.

“All his family members want him back where he was born. That is right.”

Mr Kars said consular officials were trying to arrange for a death certificate for Omer, who was a Rossi Ice-cream seller in Pitsea, after he died of a gunshot wound to the neck in the north western city of San Pedro Sula.

He hopes the funeral can take place in the next week.

Honduran police are looking for a man and a woman suspected of gunning Omer down in the street as they tried to steal his camera.

Deputy police chief Leonel Sauceda said: "Two people, a man and a woman, who were riding in a taxi, got out and tried to steal his camera.

"As they tried to rob him he resisted and then ran away to avoid being the victim of the robbery.

"As he tried to get away he was hit with a shot from .32 calibre bullet which killed him.

"We will do whatever is necessary to find these suspects - our investigation team are going through recent arrests in the area and witness statements."

Mr Kars, who runs Rochford Takeaway in West Street, and his wife Sevnaz, 31, a pharmacist in Leigh, cannot believe he would resist the muggers as he was a shy, gentle man.

Pictures in the local media showed Mr Kaya's barefoot body in white trousers and a dark T-shirt lying behind a police cordon.

Mr Kars said: “I can’t sleep properly. I keep waking up remembering past memories.

“For the past 15 years he has been in my life. It’s very difficult to take him away.”