Lucie's body arrives home

Tim Blackman and his daughter Sophie in Toyko

The family of murdered British woman Lucie Blackman have brought her body back to the UK from Japan.

Her mother Jane, sister Sophie, 20, and brother Rupert, 17, touched down at Heathrow Airport on Saturday with her remains.

A family funeral service is likely to be held in Chislehurst, Kent, followed by cremation.

Lucie, 22, of Sevenoaks, Kent, disappeared on 1 July last year. She had been working as a nightclub hostess in Tokyo.

Lucie had left British Airways to travel the world

The family flew out to Japan after police there identified the remains of a young woman found on a beach near Toyko as being Lucie.

Her father, Tim, 47, travelled ahead of the rest of the family on Friday along with his girlfriend Jo Purr. He is divorced from Lucie's mother.

Mr Blackman and his children made an emotional visit on Thursday to the cave where Lucie's body was found.

Shattered dreams

They toasted her memory with champagne and laid a bouquet of Lucie's favourite flowers at the cave's entrance, but Lucie's mother was unable to bring herself to visit the scene.

Mr Blackman said: "An unnatural event of a child pre-deceasing a parent is hard to bear.

"It cuts through so many dreams and aspirations that you have for your child."

The site of Lucie's death is just 200 yards from the apartment of businessman Joji Obaro, who has already been charged with drugging and raping several Western women.

Though he is the chief suspect, he has not yet been charged with Lucie's murder.