A Qatari man found guilty of killing a West Malling teacher is to face a retrial after his conviction was thrown out by an appeal court.

Lauren Patterson, whose family home is in Leybourne Chase, was 24 when she went missing in 2013 following a night out in Gulf State, where she was teaching English at a primary school.

Her badly burned body was found in a remote part of the desert, and a knife found lodged in her rib cage.

Miss Patterson had just returned from attending her grandmother’s funeral in England.

Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabr was found guilty of her murder the following March and sentenced to death, despite maintaining Lauren had died accidentally.

Another man, Mohamed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz, was sentenced to three years in prison for helping the killer to dispose of Lauren’s body by burning it, as well as damaging and getting rid of other evidence.

This week Qatar’s court of cassation agreed to grant al-Jabr a retrial, although he will remain in custody until then.

But Aziz's request for an appeal was denied.

Now the tragic teacher's close friend is urging people to put pressure on politicians to raise concerns over the decision.

Miranda Cecil said: "I strongly urge anyone that has ever wished to help, read a post or whose eyes that have teared up over this horrific story to help us. Help us get our Justice for Lauren Patterson.

"Please send an email to a local MP, even if its to divert their attention to the story for five minutes."

During the trial the prosecutor had told the court during the murder trial that after offering her a lift home from a nightclub, al-Jabr took Lauren to a house he used for sexual trysts with women, “conquered her body”, and killed her by stabbing her twice.

The defence had argued Lauren’s death had been an accident, and said confessions obtained from the two men on trial were coerced.