Bangkok, Sep 15 (IANS): Two British tourists were found brutally murdered on the tourist-attractive island of Koh Tao in Thailand Monday morning.

Police and local villagers have been hunting for attackers by checking all boats leaving the island.

Police sources said the bodies were found stripped on Sai Ree Beach on the Surat Thani island, popular among young foreign tourists for its full-moon parties and scuba diving, Xinhua reported.

Police described the two as British nationals, a 23-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, according to a report in the Bangkok Post.

The bodies of the tourists - a male and a female - were semi-naked.

Police said that the woman, whose skirt was hiked up to her waist and T-shirt pulled up, had also been raped and she had a large injury on her face.

The male victim was found naked with an injury to the back of his head.

A pair of shorts, a T-shirt and pair of jeans were found nearby.

A bloodstained hoe (handtool used for gardening) was found at the scene, the police added.