The father of a young woman, who was murdered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend during a frenzied attack in her place of work, has spoken of his dismay at Facebook's refusal to remove photos of her daughter and her killer from their site.
50-year-old Nick Gazzard, whose 20-year-old daughter, Hollie, died in February last year, finds it incredibly difficult to see images of her alongside former partner Asher Maslin.
Speaking of his frustration while being interviewed by BBC One's Inside Out West, Nick explained: "It makes me feel sick when I look at those photos, and to be truthful I try not to go into her Facebook site as I get quite distressed by it."
According to Nick, being confronted with images of his late daughter and her murderer on a regular basis has had a detrimental effect on the grief stricken dad and his family.
"We would like to continue to remember the good times we had with her but are left traumatised when you see her with him," he said while reflecting on his daughter's untimely passing.
Speaking to The Times, a spokesperson for Facebook justified their decision to maintain Hollie's profile as it was at the time of her death, saying: "People have told us that they would like to leave a legacy on Facebook."
"We memorialise accounts to provide a place of remembrance and maintain the profile as it was when the person passed away," he continued.
While eager to remember his daughter Hollie in a positive light, Nick insists this is a struggle considering Facebook's decision, insisting: "Their policy is wrong but I am not hopeful they will change their minds."
While acknowledging the issue, the Facebook spokesman insisted: "We understand in tragic cases such as this it may mean there are sometimes painful reminders, but memorialised accounts are designed to preserve the privacy of the deceased."
Hollie's 22-year-old former partner has been jailed for life for her murder.
