The mother of a British backpacker who was stabbed to death in Australia has hit out at the White House for classifying her death as a "terror attack".

Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, and fellow Briton Thomas Jackson died at a Queensland hostel in August, following an attack which police said was not terror-related.

However, the 21-year-old's death has been included in a White House list of 78 "under-reported" attacks allegedly "executed or inspired by" Islamic State.

Trump: 'Dishonest press' under-report terror attacks

In an open letter to Donald Trump, Miss Ayliffe-Chung's mother Rosie said she would not allow her daughter's death "to further this insane persecution of innocent people".

Mrs Ayliffe told Sky News: "We've had a letter from the head of Queensland Police saying that they'd ruled (a terror attack) out really early on.


"I can't believe they were so gung-ho about the facts. Right from the start I wasn't prepared for her death to be used in that way."

Image: Thomas Jackson was also killed in the hostel attack

She added: "For me it is complete anathema that her death has been used in that way.

"I think we are at an all-time low in terms of our attitude to immigrants and to an extent I think Mia and Tom's deaths were part of that disregard for other people and for travellers abroad."

Frenchman Smail Ayad, 29, was charged with two counts of murder after the stabbings.

The White House published the list following claims from the President that "very dishonest press" had failed to report terror attacks across the globe.

He said: "They have their reasons, and you understand that."

Image: Ms Ayliffe-Chung was described as an 'amazing young woman'

Mr Trump's list of "under-reported" attacks includes:

:: The killings of 38 holidaymakers, including 30 Britons, at a beach resort in Sousse, Tunisia, in June 2015

:: The Paris attacks which claimed 129 lives in November 2015. Briton Nick Alexander was among 89 music fans killed at the Bataclan theatre.

:: A suicide bombing at a Brussels metro station and a shooting at the city airport in March 2016. David Dixon, 50, who was originally from Hartlepool but was living in the Belgian capital, was one of the 32 killed.

:: Shootings at the Bardo National Museum in the Tunisian capital Tunis in March 2015. Sally Adey, 57, from Shropshire, was among the 22 who were killed.

:: A knife attack at Leytonstone tube station, east London, in December 2015. Attacker Muhiddin Mire, who attempted to behead a musician, was jailed for life.