A £60,000 reward has been put up by the parents of a British hotelier murdered by a hitman on St Lucia, to try and find his killers.

The parents of 38-year-old Oliver Gobat, Theo and Helen Gobat, who own a million pound home in Esher, have responded to the stalled investigation into his suspected killing by launching a private investigation and offering a large reward.

The Times reported Mr and Mrs Gobat's investigation is headed by a former member of the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency.

The body of Mr Gobat, who attended King's College School, Wimbledon, was found burnt in the passenger seat of his Range Rover on April 26, of this year.

He had been shot twice in the head, before his body was torched in the car on the Cap Estate on the north-east tip of the island.

Mrs Gobat said to The Times: "Getting justice for Ollie is like pushing water uphill. Unless we get an outside police force, we face a big challenge.

"I'd like to see the evil people who brought this upon Ollie brought to justice, for our sake, for Ollie's sake and for St Lucia's sake."

Mr and Mrs Gobat are reported to now live under constant security protection, as the investigation has led to intimidation and death threats.

November 17 would have been Mr Gobat's 39th birthday.

His parents and friends met on Smuggler's Beach in Cap Maison, St Lucia, to mark the poignant occasion.

British police are refusing to become involved after the local police investigation has come to halt, as St Lucia still has the death penalty for murder.

The manner in which Mr Gobat died has led police to suspect he was the victim of a contract killing.