Victim's family's 'unbearable' loss

The body of Claire Laggan, 25, was discovered by police near a disused quarry in Denaby Crags in South Yorkshire on Sunday.

Detectives launched a murder investigation after a post mortem examination showed she died from head injuries. Ms Laggan, the mother of two sons aged four and five, had been missing from her home in Conisbrough since December 27.

At a press conference at South Yorkshire Police headquarters in Sheffield, Det Supt Bob Yates said Ms Laggan did not live with her children and had suffered from drug problems since she was a teenager. She had turned to prostitution in recent years, he said.

Ms Laggan had spent Christmas Day with her mother, who cared for her two sons, before disappearing two days later. She was reported missing to the police on January 3.

Her family said in a statement: "Claire was devoted to her two sons. She recognised that she had problems and desperately wanted to change her lifestyle. We had a lovely family Christmas together and Claire spent a lot of time with her sons and had the joy of watching them open their presents on Christmas morning, which meant a great deal to her."

They added: "Claire is our beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend and our feeling of loss is unbearable."

Mr Yates said police search teams discovered Ms Laggan's body in dense woodland at the rear of Northcliffe School. This was near the disused and overgrown North Cliff Quarry, an area known locally as Ladies Valley.

Appealing for information from the public, Mr Yates said: "Where was Claire Laggan between December 27 and the finding of her body on January 13?"

He said there had been about 17 reported sightings of her between these dates. She was last seen in a cemetery area in Denaby on the morning of January 9. An inquest into her death will be held next week.