THE charity launched following the tragic murder of York backpacker Caroline Stuttle has marked its fifth anniversary by stepping up its travel safety campaign.

Caroline's Rainbow Foundation, set up in memory of the Huntington teenager, has launched a new website, designed to promote awareness of the issue among young people.

The launch was hosted by the foundation's partner organisation, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, at the National Centre For Personal Safety, in London, and was hailed as a major success.

The website will enable young people seeking a gap year to gather information on countries they intend to visit.

This knowledge will help them to respect local customs and culture, so they can avoid situations that can put them at risk.

Caroline's mother, Marjorie Marks, who is the chief executive of the foundation, said: "We have close links with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust because we both work to spread the message of personal safety both at home and abroad.

"We believe that our new website can empower young people to ensure their personal safety in foreign lands."

Julie Bentley, the chief executive of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said: "The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is proud to support the great work being done by the foundation.

"We now provide the DVD that they produced on safer travel, and we look forward to continuing our close relationship."

Caroline, 19, a former student of Huntington School and York College, was killed five years ago this month, when she was pushed from a bridge in the Australian city of Bundaberg.

Mrs Marks, her son, Richard, and her husband, David, established the Rainbow Foundation in her memory.

The charity launched a video called Time Of Your Life, to help encourage young people to learn basic safety awareness, and the dos and don'ts of travelling.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a registered charity, is a leading authority on personal safety.

It works to raise awareness of the importance of the issue, and to provide solutions in order to help people to avoid violence and aggression and live safer, more confident lives.

It works with the Government, police, and other bodies to promote safety.

The new website for Caroline's Rainbow Foundation can be viewed at www.carolinesrainbowfoundation.org