THE family of a North-East man found dead in a foreign country lane have been refused information on the case because it could damage Britain's relationship with France.

A freedom of information request submitted to the Foreign Office by Julie Sheppard revealed new details regarding the death of her son, 31-year-old Andrew Watt.

However, Foreign Office officials say other information cannot be disclosed because it could prejudice the relationship between the two countries.

The decision has angered Mr Watt's family who have been involved in a struggle to find out how and why he died in September 2010.

Mr Watt, from Durham City, was found dead about a mile from Vimarce, near Laval, in north-west France.

French doctors decided that the 31-year-old former Durham Johnston School pupil died of heart failure.

However, new information obtained by Mr Watt's family suggests French prosecutors initially believed he had committed suicide.

The family also discovered that Mr Watt was found with a broken ankle, and cuts and bruising, but despite the injuries French police did not attempt to check his movements before his death or conduct door to door enquiries to establish if there were witnesses.

Mrs Sheppard, from Selkirk, in Scotland, said she was "astounded" at the Foreign Office's decision to withhold information.

She added: "The Foreign Office has told us there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death but then why is there information that we're not allowed to see?

"We feel that something not right. We think there's secrecy and a cover-up - to what level we don't understand.

"We're left wondering what on earth went on."

The family met a detective from Durham CID on Thursday to discuss the case in the hope British police would launch their own investigation.

A petition has been launched online - you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/freedom-of-information-for-deaths-abroad - calling for Foreign Secretary William Hague to intervene and disclose missing information on the case.

Mr Watt, who lived in France with his girlfriend, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

At the time of his death, he was receiving treatment in a French hospital.

A post mortem examination was conducted in France, however a second post-mortem was ordered by North-East coroner Andrew Tweddle after his family questioned the first judgement.

These tests were delayed after it was discovered that Mr Watt's body had been returned to the UK without many of his major organs.

Some organs have now been returned, however it is not possible to determine if they are Mr Watt's.

The Foreign Office said discussions were continuing with the family regarding the freedom of information request.

The Foreign Office's reply to Mr Watt's family regarding the information request states: "We judge that the release of the information would be likely to harm relations and ongoing cooperation with the authority, Ministere de la Justice and ultimately the French government."