The family of a young Kent woman murdered in Japan eight years ago has set up a fund to support other people whose loved ones go missing while abroad.

Missing Abroad was launched this week by Tim Blackman, father of 21-year-old Lucie who vanished while working as hostess in Tokyo in 2000.

Mr Blackman and his other daughter spent nearly £150,000 working over many months in Japan to raise the profile of Lucie’s case and to ensure she was found. The case ended in tragedy as Lucie’s decomposed body was discovered in a cave seven months after she disappeared.

Eight years on, and Mr Blackman says he wanted to use the wealth of experience he gathered while searching for Lucie to assist other families mounting search campaigns in foreign countries.

He said: "When you are faced with a tragedy abroad, it can be extremely difficult to get things going - to afford to even get to a foreign country and then to liaise with various embassies and foreign organizations is very hard."

~ Listen: Tim Blackman explains how he started Missing Abroad and the pain of dealing with his daughter’s death every day >>>

Missing Abroad offers advice and funding – from financial pledges by partnership companies – to help cover the travel and administration costs families come across while searching for missing relatives.

Mr Blackman added: "In every case there is that absolute need to get to where this disaster has happened - you want to go there, and it is very effective piece of action to take.

"When I think back now to eight years ago when Lucie was missing, I can’t even face thinking about how we managed to do it and how we pulled so much off.

"But we have so much expertise as part of Lucie’s legacy, and it would be wrong not to make it available."