Father 'losing hope' of finding Ashley Dighton's killer

Kent Police said the investigation into Ashley Dighton's death was still open

The father of a teenager whose headless body was found in bushes in Kent three years ago has said he is losing hope of ever bringing his killers to justice.

Ashley Dighton, 19, was last seen on 11 June 2007 at a supermarket in Simone Weil Avenue, Ashford. His body was found near the store a month later.

His father Ambrose Dighton said he did not think the police were doing enough to find his son's killers.

Det Insp Dave Withers, of Kent Police, said the case would never be closed.

"We had a massive team working on this, right from when it happened... we followed up every possible lead that we could, but it's all come to a blank, including forensic work that we've had done," the officer said.

"And we will carry on reviewing that forensic work. None of our cases are ever closed, but this one, at the moment, we've gone as far as we can."

An inquest into Mr Dighton's death in December 2008 recorded an open verdict.

Ashford Coroner's Court heard that his body was found covered with branches and one of his ribs and his T-shirt had been removed and placed in a plastic bag.

Mr Dighton's body was so badly decomposed the pathologist could not determine a cause of death.