A renewed appeal is being made for information about the unsolved murder of a Finnish backpacker whose strangled body was found in Oxfordshire 21 years ago.

On November 25, 1983, the decomposed remains of 23-year-old Eila Karjalainen, pictured, were found in dense undergrowth at King's Wood, part of the Blenheim Estate.

Retired officer Terry Sykes, who worked on the case at the time and now helps coordinate Thames Valley's Crimestoppers service, is making a fresh appeal for information.

He hopes that someone could shed new light on what happened to Eila by phoning the confidential crimeline.

Crimestoppers -- which has only been been operating in Thames Valley since 1998 -- gives people the chance to pass on information to the police without having to leave their name.

Mr Sykes said: "Someone might be in a position to say something now which they didn't feel safe enough to do so at the time."

Eila arrived at Harwich on August 2, 1983, and was planning to see as much of England as she could by hitchhiking her way around during a two-week holiday before she started a course in mental health nursing.

She left London on August 7, heading west on the A40 to Oxford. But she failed to return home to Helsinki as planned on August 14.

Four months later her body was found, and two weeks later she was identified after her backpack was discovered seven miles away in a layby off the A40 between Oxford and Witney.

It is thought that someone may have found the pack unaware of the murder and dumped it when they realised its significance.

Mr Sykes, who was exhibits officer on the high-profile case and retired in 1997, said: "It's one of those jobs that always stays with you because of the circumstances.

"I live not too far away from where the body was found so it brings it back now and then."

To contact Crimestoppers call 0800 555111.