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Murdered: 17-year-old Simon Everitt was found after a three-week hunt. He had been tied to a tree, made to drink petrol, and set alight

A teenager died after he was tied to a tree and made to drink petrol before being set on fire, police revealed yesterday.

Simon Everitt died from inhaling some of the fluid, a post-mortem examination found.

The 17-year-old engineering student had been missing for three weeks before his body was discovered buried in a ditch last Saturday.

At a Press conference yesterday his devastated father begged the public to help solve his murder.

Vince Everitt, 44, said: ' Anyone who thinks they have got any information, however daft it might sound, please come forward and tell the police. We have to make sure this never happens to anyone again.'

Simon's stepmother Sue, 40, added: 'No one deserves to die like this. This could have been anyone's kid out there. Someone must know something.'

Simon had recently left the family home in Great Yarmouth to live in a bedsit on the seafront. His father has previously said his son moved out because 'he and I were constantly knocking heads'.

Mr Everitt added that Simon was a 'typical teenager. If he did not like what mum and dad said, he would say, "I'm off out of here".'

But he added that Simon had a 'heart of gold', had never been in serious trouble with the police and was not a troublemaker.

The teenager, who studied at Yarmouth College, was last seen alive on June 7 as he rode his mountain bike near James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth.

Norfolk police initially treated his disappearance as a missing person inquiry.

But eight days after he went missing, they received an anonymous call from a member of public and launched an investigation into a suspected murder, even though no body had been found.

Despite the development his father, a pub entertainer, started a website and poster campaign to find Simon. He also put out an emotional appeal to his son in case he was still alive.

Mr Everitt said at the time: 'If you need our help you know where we are and how to get hold of us, no matter what the problem is. We can solve it as a  family if you'll let us help.

'Ring us and we can help in any way we can. We love you and miss you and just want to know you are safe and well.'

Up to 20 police officers were drafted in to work on the case and CCTV cameras were checked to see if they would reveal Simon's movements before he disappeared.

Officers spent two days searching woods in Mautby, near Great Yarmouth, before finding his body there in a ditch where it had been covered with soil.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Strong said yesterday: 'Simon was made to drink petrol and the conclusion of the post-mortem is that the cause of death was the inhalation of a combustible fluid.

'I would appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

'In particular, we are keen to hear from anyone who might have seen people acting suspiciously or spotted vehicles or cycles in the area of Church Lane, Corton, on June 7, or at Church Farm, Mautby, on June 7 or 8.'

•  Three people have been remanded in custody accused of murdering Simon. Jimi Lee Stewart, 24, and Maria Chandler, 40, both of Yarmouth, and Johnathan Clarke, 19, of Telford, Shropshire, will next appear at Norwich Crown Court on July 14.