THE family of a man who was shot in the back as he sketched wildlife in India have been told he may have been killed over money.

Illustrator David Green, 53, of Darlington, was found dead in a forest by a tourist last Thursday night in the northern town of Orchha, in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

It was still unclear whether he had been murdered or shot by accident, but Indian newspapers have reported that his bag was missing when his body was found.

Mr Green's sister-in-law, Anne, said: "All we know really is that a sniper came and shot David in the back and that he would have been dead in seconds. The consulate has spoken to the police in India and now thinks there may have been some issue about money."

Mr Green, a well-known illustrator of wildlife, had been going to the Indian town every other year for the past seven years, spending three months sketching the flora and fauna.

He went to India in November and was expected home at the end of February.

His 85-year-old mother, Edna, who lived with Mr Green in Knightsbridge Avenue, learned of her son's death when she was contacted by an Australian backpacker at 5am last Friday. She said: "It was a dreadful shock. He would never hurt a fly. I only hope and pray he did not feel anything.

"When you are older the last thing you want is anything to happen to them before you."

Mrs Green said she last spoke to her son a fortnight ago. She said he liked Orchha, known for its medieval palaces and temples, because it was a quiet place and he could sketch in peace.

She spoke of how her son had loved India and its people and was never worried about the potential dangers, despite running into trouble on a previous trip.

A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Green's death was being investigated.

His family are hoping his body will be flown home this week.