Murdered teacher's father hails Japanese arrest

The father of a British teacher murdered in Japan welcomed the arrest of her suspected killer today, saying: "We wanted justice and we've finally got justice."

Tatsuya Ichihashi was arrested at around 6pm local time at a ferry port in Japan for the killing of 22-year-old Lindsay Hawker.

Speaking outside the family home in Coventry, Bill Hawker said: "This has been a long hard battle and the battle is over. We have worked tirelessly as a family, we have never given up."

Ms Hawker's naked and battered body was found in a bathtub full of sand in Tokyo.

The young woman, from Brandon, near Coventry, was pursuing her dream of teaching English in Japan.

She was last seen on March 25, 2007 with Ichihashi, and her body was discovered on the balcony of his flat in Tokyo.

The 30-year-old - Japanese police's only suspect - had been on the run amid reports that he might may have undergone cosmetic surgery to change his appearance.