British backpacker found dead on Koh Tao

PHUKET: A British backpacker has died on Koh Tao, where British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered in September last year.

Christina Annesley, 23, from Orpington in south London, was found dead on Wednesday night.

Her mother Margaret, 55, announced her death on Facebook, saying: “We have lost our beautiful daughter Chrissie of natural causes.

“We are totally devastated. We love you so much darling. Rest in peace.”

Ms Annesley is believed to have been visiting Thailand as part of a four-month tour of Southeast Asia. Days before she died, she posted pictures of her holiday on Twitter (click here).

“In awe of how beautiful this place is,” she wrote.

On Monday, she tweeted: “Great, just as I finally make friends I have to shell out £60 for antibiotics and now can’t afford to go out with them.”

A British Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the death of a British National in Thailand on 21 January 2014.

“We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”

Ms Annesley was a student at Leeds University, where she studied history. She was also a former vice-chairman of Yorkshire Young Independence, as well as a former chairman of Leeds Conservative Future movements.

Hundreds of people – including right-of-center political figures – paid tribute to Ms Annesley.

The Young Britons’ Foundation (YBF), a conservative group with which she was affiliated, hailed her as a “wonderful girl” with “strong libertarian principles”.

In a statement, the organization said: “I am sorry to inform supporters of the Young Britons’ Foundation that Christina Annesley has died while on holiday.

“Christina attended a number of YBF conferences having already achieved a level of notoriety for her strong libertarian views while at Leeds University. Christina was a wonderful girl of strong libertarian principles, who made great waves amongst all of us who were lucky enough to know her.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this tragic time. RIP.”

She was also a member of the UK Independence Party (Ukip), and described herself as “very libertarian” and “anarcho-capitalist”.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage tweeted: “Very sad and shocked to hear of the death of Christina Annesley. Thoughts and prayers with her family and friends.”

Conservative European Parliamentary candidate Daniel Hamilton tweeted: “Very sad to hear of the untimely death of Christina Annesley. A free spirit, a bright spark, a one-off. Rest in peace.”