Milly's parents fear the worst

Sally Dowler says not knowing is "awful"

The parents of missing Surrey teenager Milly Dowler have told how they now believe their daughter has been murdered.

On the eve of the sixth-month anniversary of the day her youngest daughter disappeared, Sally Dowler said she had been through every scenario to explain why Milly had not come home but now she feared she was dead.

I haven't really gone beyond thinking she's been abducted and she's dead

Sally Dowler

Her husband Bob recalled how he had searched for his daughter - who disappeared six months ago - after she had failed to come home.

Their interviews come as police in Hampshire continue to search an area of woodland where human remains were found on Thursday.

There has been no direct link made with Milly's disappearance but her parents have been informed about the discovery and the detective leading the hunt for the teenager is to visit the woodland on Friday.

Amanda, known as Milly, phoned her father to say she would be home in half an hour on 21 March.

But the then 13-year-old disappeared from near Walton-on-Thames railway station just after 1608 BST that afternoon.

Amanda's classmates at Heathside School in Weybridge will join in a special assembly on Friday.

Unbearable uncertainty

In a television interview to be broadcast on Friday her mother said: "I think that she has been abducted and murdered and I've been through every possible scenario and played them all through time and time again, but that's the only one I seem to end up at each time.

"The not knowing is just awful because ... there is still that element of doubt".

She told Tonight with Trevor McDonald how she had asked herself whether her daughter could still be alive and pleaded "oh please let that be the case".

Milly father was the last person to speak to her

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mrs Dowler said she initially could not cope as she desperately looked for answers.

Six months on, thinking about exactly what happened is "too awful to contemplate", she added.

She said: "I haven't really gone beyond thinking she's been abducted and she's dead."

The 43-year-old teacher said her heart went out to anyone who had been in a similar situation.

Her husband told the programme how difficult it was to pass the spot where his daughter had disappeared not knowing what had happened.

The IT consultant now treasures a home video he shot of Milly ironing a couple of days before she disappeared as she prepared to go to a Pop Idol concert in London.

She told her 16-year-old sister Gemma the night before she disappeared that she had "danced her little heart out" at the concert where her heartthrob Gareth Gates sang. She told Gemma he was "to die for".

Frantic search

Mrs Dowler said she wept uncontrollably when she listened to the lyrics of Gareth Gates's version of Unchained Melody where he sings "I'll be coming home, wait for me".

The day after the teenager told her sister about the concert she disappeared after eating some chips in a station cafe with friends.

Mr Dowler described how he went from being "quite cross" to being concerned when she had not turned up an hour after she was expected.

He called Milly's mobile and went to look for her at a friend's house, but after more searching the family called the police.

Milly's parents have spoken of their anguish

On Milly's birthday in June the family went to Dorset where Milly had been the year before and threw wild flowers into the sea for her.

And a few weeks ago they went abroad with the same friends as last year.

Mr Dowler said: "Nothing in your life can prepare you for this. Is it wrong to laugh and enjoy yourself?

"What I've said to people is: 'you show me the rule book, you tell me what I should do now'."

Their interview will broadcast at 2000 BST on Friday on ITV1.