Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral service of the murdered niece of a Northern Ireland MP.

The body of 28-year-old Julie Hamill was found lying face down on the beach, which fronts the County Londonderry seaside town of Portstewart, by a local man out jogging early on Thursday morning. She had been strangled.

St Patrick's church at Saul near Downpatrick in Co Down could not hold all the people who came to pay their respects to the murder victim.

Priest Fr Francis Harper told the congregation, which included Ms Hamill's parents and three brothers, of her vibrant personality and kindness. He said the sudden and tragic nature of her death was "like a blackout".

Police are carrying out searches in the Island Tasserty Road area. They are also trying to establish a motive for the killing.

The victim's body was naked when it was discovered but police have said there was no sexual assault.

She was a part time guidance officer at the Causeway Institute of Further and Higher Education in Ballymoney in County Antrim and lived in a flat in Portrush, a mile along the coast from Portstewart.

She was the niece of South Down Social Democratic and Labour Party MP and party chief whip Eddie McGrady and was originally from Downpatrick in County Down.

The SDLP party leader John Hume and Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon both attended the funeral. Her clothes, a black sleeved top and trousers have not been found.

Mr Hamill was last seen at Kelly's nightclub in Portrush in the early hours of Thursday morning.

She had gone to the club with her flatmate.

Appeal for information

Police in Portrush are trying to trace Ms Hamill's movements before her murder. Chief Inspector Nigel Kyle said: "At some stage, possibly in the early hours of Thursday morning she left the nightclub. Now we need to piece together the picture from there until the body was found yesterday morning.

"It's very important that anyone who was in Kelly's on Wednesday night through into Thursday morning comes forward and makes themselves known to police.

"We would particularly want to hear from anyone who spoke to the deceased on the night in question."

Shock at killing

The local community have expressed shock at the murder. A spokesperson for the SDLP said the party was "devastated" by the death and extended its sympathy to Mr McGrady, his wife Patricia and the Hamill family.

"Our prayers are with her family and friends at this difficult time," they said.

Coleraine councillor Pauline Armitage said the place where her body was found was very quiet.

"It's very sad because Portstewart and the beach in particular would be a very pleasant, peaceful place where people would go for a walk.

"Something like this has never happened before."

She appealed for local people who may have been in the area during the night to try to remember if they saw anything unusual.

"There are a number of homes which overlook the beach and I would appeal to anyone who saw anything remotely suspicious or unusual to get in touch with the Royal Ulster Constabulary."

A special incident room has been set up in Portrush RUC Station and anyone with information about Ms Hamill's movements is asked to contact them on 01265 44122 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.