THE family of missing backpacker Gareth Koch, who failed to return from a trekking holiday in Nepal, are to launch an annual Scouting event in memory of their son.

David and Gill Koch, from Wantage, are sponsoring the Gareth Koch Endeavour Shield at the Youlbury international Scout campsite in Boars Hill, near Abingdon, on Sunday, April 15.

Gareth, 24, who never returned from his journey to the Himalayas in March 2004, was a keen Scout, and his birthday would have been on April 18.

The day, being run by the King Alfred district Scouts, will involve physical and mental challenges for teams of up to six, finishing with a barbecue and prizegiving at the end of the day.

Mr Koch said: "Gareth was a scout from the age of eight. He would have become a Venture Scout but wanted to become a leader instead.

"He was awarded his leader's warrant, and was expected to collect it on his return from Nepal, but it never happened.

"His birthday would have been on April 18, so we decided to launch this around the same time, and it also ties in with the centenary of scouting this year.

"A lot of people have given support."

It is the latest initiative launched by the Koch family, of Hamfield, Wantage, in memory of Gareth.

He failed to fly home after last being seen in Chhukung, after he had separated from fellow walker Ian Napier.

In January last year, Mr and Mrs Koch, who have a younger son, Adam, 26, created 'trekker intention' books for hostels in the area where Gareth disappeared to help find other walkers who go missing.

The books were considered vital as the couple assumed, wrongly, that there would be a procedure for tracking their son.

They travelled to Nepal soon afterwards to seek information about his disappearance, and later sent postcards of the Wantage landmark, King Alfred's statue, to 500 key politicians and influential figures, including Prime Minister Tony Blair.

A year ago, they met the then senior Foreign Office minister, Baroness Symons, to discuss how the search was handled.