An Essex mother has spoken of her grief after her daughter was murdered and her body found dumped in woodland.

Anneli Alderton, 24, is one of the five victims of a Suffolk serial killer.

Essex Police have joined the hunt for the murderer after two more bodies were found yesterday in woodland near Levington, Suffolk.

Maire Alderton, of Albert Street, in Bathside, Harwich, said she was trying to hold things together as well as grieve for her daughter.

Anneli was from Colchester, but also had strong links with the Harwich area where her mother lives.

She was last seen catching the 5.53pm train from Harwich railway station to Colchester on Sunday, December 3.

A week later her naked body was found dumped in woodland at Nacton, near Ipswich.

Mrs Alderton said: "She was a lovely, bright, intelligent girl and I just loved her so much.

"I have just come back from identifying her body, and I am trying to hold things together as well as grieve for her."

Click here to post your tributes to Essex murder victim Anneli Alderton

A close friend of Anneli's mum said: "Her mum is absolutely heartbroken.

"She can't believe her daughter has gone.

"She said to me: How am I going to tell Freddy?' "

The friend added: "I know Maire quite well and have met Anneli a few times.

"She was a very bright and extremely pretty young woman. I would never have believed she was a prostitute or into drugs.

"She just didn't come across like that at all."

The friend said Maire and her partner Tim Smith run the local Bathside Stores. They had moved to Essex from Huddersfield "a few years ago".

He said Maire had confided in him that Anneli had a drug problem and had been working as a prostitute.

"She was completely despairing because she didn't know how to help her daughter.

"She always did her best and just wanted to help get Anneli back on the straight and narrow."

The friend added: "I believe Anneli had spent some time in drugs rehabilitation but I assume it didn't work because she wouldn't have become a prostitute otherwise.

"She is honestly the last person I would expect to be doing that sort of work. She was a lovely girl.

"It just goes to show you what a mess drugs can make of your life. People should remember it could be their relatives who end up like that if they make the wrong choices or get in with the wrong crowd."

Mr Smith returned to the family home yesterday but refused to comment.

A woman in the shop said: "They don't want to talk at the moment. Can't you imagine how they are feeling?"

  • Anyone with information on any of these incidents can contact the Telephone Hotline on 0800 0961011, or ring Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111, or report information on-line at suffolk.police.uk
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