The Ledbury parents of Rachel Whitear will not rule out the exhumation of her body if Police re-investigating her death consider it necessary.

At the heart of the concerns of Pauline and Mick Holcroft is the open verdict recorded by the coroner in Exmouth three years ago, and national media speculation about the cause of her death, original presented as a result of heroin use.

Mrs Holcroft said: "If the police come to us, with expert advice, and say that exhumation will be necessary, we would have to agree to it no matter how distressing that would be. We hoped we had laid Rachel to rest."

Question marks were raised at the inquest concerning the level of heroin found in Rachel's blood, and whether it would have been sufficient to cause death.

Since the 21-year-old student's death, in May 2000, images of her body as it was found in her Exmouth bedsit have been used in a drugs education video called Rachel's Story. Mrs Holcroft said she did not believe the new investigation, led by Wiltshire Constabulary, compromises the educational aims of the video.

Independent Police Complaints Authority member Duncan Gear, who is supervising the new investigation said: "I will seek to ensure that Ms Whitear's parents get the answers that they deserve. The inquiry will review the circumstances that led up to Ms Whitear's tragic death."