The family of a Battersea businessman murdered in China is pursuing a multi-million pound compensation claim against the family of his killer.
Neil Heywood, 41, was killed by Gu Kailai, the wife of prominent Chinese politician Bo Xilai, in November 2011 after she poisoned him with cyanide in a hotel in Chongqing province.
Mr Heywood's family were told by police that he had died from alcohol poisoning and were pushed by the Chinese authorities into agreeing to the quick cremation, meaning key evidence was lost.
The murder triggered China’s biggest political crisis since the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprisings because every 10 years in Chinese politics there is a transfer of power to a new generation of leaders in the communist party.
Mr Bo had been hotly tipped for promotion but the case ended up costing him his political career.
Mrs Gu pleaded guilty and was handed a suspended death sentence last year - four police officers were also jailed for their part in covering up the crime.
In China, unlike this country, it is common practice for the families of convicted murderers to compensate the victims.
In December 2011, a funeral was held for the father-of-two at St Mary's Church in Battersea which was attended by more than 100 people.
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