British teacher 'fled Burma after his colleague's death'

A British teacher being sought by Burmese police over the death of his colleague is thought to have fled the country.

Harris Binotti, 25, was named by Burmese police as a suspect over the demise of his colleague Gary Ferguson, aged 47.

The body of Mr Ferguson, who was also a UK citizen, was found inside Mr Binotti's flat in Rangoon on Sunday morning after he failed to return home after a night out with his colleague. He is said to have suffered head and chest wounds.

Burma's Ministry of Information said Mr Binotti had left the country on a Thai airways flight on Sunday. They did not confirm where he had flown to, and police in Thailand also refused to comment on speculation that he entered the Kingdom.

A police officer said the two men had been seen falling out during a night out shortly before Mr Ferguson's death. He said: "At the time they were together drinking. They were talking and fighting."

Neighbours also told AFP that they had heard shouting and crashes from Mr Binotti's flat on Saturday night.

Both Mr Ferguson and Mr Binotti worked as English teachers at the Horizon International School in Rangoon.

A secretary at the school said that the community were very shocked at the news about the pair. "These two teachers were very close friends so everyone is shocked," she said.

Mr Binotti is thought to be from Dumfries but also lived in Aberdeen. His Facebook page indicated he had worked in a range of hospitality and teaching positions around the world. They included stints as a holiday firm representative in Greece, a ski rep in France and a teacher in Cambodia.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing help and support to the family of a British national following a death in Rangoon, Burma, and are in touch with the local authorities."