‘It breaks my heart’: Sister’s anguish as Amelia Bambridge's body found dead at sea

The sister of British backpacker Amelia Bambridge has spoken of the moment she received the "horrific" confirmation that her body had been found.

The 21-year-old's body was discovered in the Gulf of Thailand, around 30 miles north west of Koh Rong, where she disappeared after attending a beach party on the night of October 23, the police chief for Preah Sihanouk province said.

Her family confirmed that her body had been found at sea following days of searching.

Miss Bambridge’s sister Sharon Schultes wrote an emotional tribute to her on the family’s fundraising page.

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She said: “I have had the most horrific confirmation that my sister Amelia Bambridge was found and she is no longer with us.

“It breaks my heart to let all my close family and friends know the horrendous outcome that we didn’t want.

“Now we have to get our Amelia back home to England so we can lay her beautiful soul to rest and to remember the wonderful life she lived.

“Thank you for all the support we’ve had, please continue to do all you can so we can get all our family home with Amelia safely.”

Ms Bambridge's body was found near another island, Koh Chhlam, close to Cambodia’s maritime border with Thailand, Major General Chuon Narin said.

She was last seen at Police Beach on the island of Koh Rong in the Sihanoukville Province last Wednesday.

Staff at Police Beach found her purple rucksack, containing her purse, phone and bank cards near the sea the following morning.

Her family was alerted to her disappearance after she failed to check out of the Nest Beach Club hostel and her passport remained at the hostel.

The backpacker's family had travelled out to Cambodia to aid in the search, with searches carried out along the shoreline, jungle and further inland.

Around 150 volunteers had been involved in the search for the missing 21-year-old.

Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, said: “Devastated to hear the terribly sad news about Amelia Bambridge this morning – the thoughts and prayers of everyone in Worthing are with her family and friends.”

Ms Bambridge had set off for her first solo trip on September 27, when she flew to Vietnam.

During a phone call with her younger sister Georgie last Wednesday, Ms Bambridge said her first solo trip was “doing so much for her confidence” and she was having “the best time ever."