The father of Gemma Adams yesterday said he could only hope that detectives found the killer soon.

Mr Adams, who would not give his first name, said: "It's too late for us now but we can only hope that they catch them soon. In the light of what's happened in the last few days our fears are the same as everyone else's.

"And I can only urge anyone who has any information to come forward and help the police."

He said Gemma was a "normal, happy girl" until she became addicted to drugs.

"I have three children - two have grown up normally," said Mr Adams. "Gemma was a normal happy girl until we lost her to drugs when she was about 17. We had lost contact with her for a couple of years."

Gemma had become addicted to heroin, and had lost a job with an insurance company before drifting into prostitution, he said.

"It's just heroin hell and if any parents have got any suspicion their children are taking drugs I would say tackle it head on and try to get help at the earliest opportunity because I wouldn't want anyone else go through what Gemma has been through and what we are going through."