The father of a young south Essex man missing in Nepal for more than two years today spoke for the first time about his beloved boy.

Anthony Ratnasothy, 59, also said he was stunned the British ambassador to Nepal had claimed the country was absolutely safe.

Mr Ratnasothy felt compelled to speak out after a coroner last week recorded a verdict of unlawful killing of Tim Prentice, a 38-year-old British trekker from Bristol, who was robbed and murdered 50 miles north of the Nepal capital, Kathmandu.

Alex Ratnasothy, 24, left the family home in Park View Gardens, Grays, in April 2002 to embark on a round-the-world holiday taking in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal.

He kept in regular e-mail contact with his family, but in early 2003 the e-mails stopped. He never boarded his return flights and his bank account has not been touched since.

Mr Ratnasothy has travelled with wife Eva, 57,and daughter Anna, 29, to Nepal several times in an effort to trace Alex. His last known sighting was in April 2003 in two Kathmandu travel agencies, having been robbed of his valuables.

Mr Ratnasothy said: "The authorities are always playing down the amount of difficulty or danger of travelling in countries like Nepal. I wouldn't say it was 100 per cent safe place. People go missing like our Alex. There are a number of other boys and girls who have gone missing since Alex disappeared."

Keith Bloomfield, British ambassador to Nepal was reported as saying: "There is absolutely no security problem to travel and trek in Nepal."

Mr Ratnasothy said: "For some reason the authorities turn a blind eye to people going missing. I am very surprised the British ambassador said something like that.

"My message to anyone travelling is stay in a group at all times. Don't go anywhere on your own."

Anyone with any information about Alex should call 07752 223357.