Police in Northern Ireland say they are following a number of leads in the murder of a woman who was found strangled on a beach.

The naked body of Julie Hamill, 28, was discovered on a beach in Portstewart, County Londonderry on Thursday morning.

Ms Hamill, who was originally from County Down, was last seen at Kelly's nightclub a mile along the coast in Portrush in the early hours of that day.

Detective Chief Inspector Hamilton Houston is leading the murder hunt.

He said he now believes a girl in a "helpless condition" who was seen being escorted from God's Lounge in Kelly's to a car, was Miss Hamill.

He also revealed that clothes found during police searches belonged to the murder victim.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, the senior detective made an appeal to people who were at the nightclub around 0140 GMT on 3 February.

"We are trying to encourage those persons leaving the disco in the night and early morning in question to come forward," he said.

"Those who have identified a person being taken from the disco in a helpless condition.

"We believe in the car park and moving from the premises someone has vital information which we urgently require," he said.

Taxi drivers

In particular, he said, police want to hear from car owners and taxi drivers who were in the nightclub car park.

Police are still trying to establish a motive for the killing which has shocked people in the quiet seaside resort, frequented by holidaymakers.

Since the murder, officers have carried out detailed searches in the Island Tasserty Road area of the town.

Detectives said there was no sexual assault on the victim, even though she was naked when her body was found by a jogger.

Miss Hamill had been a part time guidance officer at the Causeway Institute of Further and Higher Education in Ballymoney, County Antrim but she lived in a flat in Portrush.

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.

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 police on 01265 44122 or ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.