Tributes flood in for Milly

Flowers and messages come from young and old

A steady stream of mourners and well-wishers have been laying floral tributes to Amanda 'Milly' Dowler, in memory of the murdered teenager.

At Milly's home in Walton-on-Thames and at the site where her remains were found in forest land near Fleet, Hampshire, bouquets have been placed.

On Sunday special prayers will be said for the 13-year-old at St Mary's Church, in Walton.

Meanwhile police have continued to search the area at Yateley Wood, near Fleet, as they launched a fresh appeal for information in a bid to find Milly's killer.

The Surrey force, which is leading the investigation, has confirmed detectives will interview known paedophiles across Hampshire as part of the murder inquiry.

Sorrow

Young and old came to lay floral tributes and pay their respects to Milly on Saturday.

From early morning a steady stream of motorists pulled over at the road block beside the spot where her body was discovered.

A message on a bunch of pink roses captured the mood: "God bless Milly. We can't express the sorrow felt."

And outside her house in Walton, just 25 miles away, similar tributes have been placed.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Denholm, who is leading the inquiry for Surrey Police, said the discovery on Friday of the skeletal remains had been "extremely distressing" for Milly's parents.

It is six months since Milly's disappearance

He urged anyone who had seen anything suspicious on 21 March or the following days at Yateley Heath Forest near Fleet in Hampshire - where the body was found - to contact police.

"Can you remember seeing anything unusual?" he asked the public.

"Can you remember seeing a teenager who matched the description of Milly?"

He listed the 13-year-old's missing clothes: a short, grey skirt, a blue jumper, a blue school blazer, a school tie, a white shirt, black shoes.

Fingertip search

Her beige rucksack, white purse with a red heart and Nokia 3210 grey and blue mobile phone with 'Milly' written on the back have also not been recovered.

Mr Denholm said a fingertip search of the woodland was continuing and house to house inquiries in the area had begun.

Coming to terms with the death is something which people will now be able to begin

Reverend Canon Timothy Sedgley

The area, which is popular with joggers, horse-riders, families and bikers, has been closed off half a mile in every direction from where the remains were discovered, about 25 miles from Milly's home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Laboratory tests will be carried out on material recovered from the scene which may reveal fibres or DNA samples from the killer.

Amanda disappeared as she walked home from Walton-on-Thames railway station, exactly six months ago on Sunday.

Ian Taylor, Milly's parents' local Tory MP, said he hoped the discovery of the body would help Milly's parents to move on.

At St Mary's Church, the Reverend Canon Timothy Sedgley said a candle would be lit in Milly's memory on Sunday - the same candle first lit six months ago as the community prayed for her safe return.

He said: "Coming to terms with the death is something which people will now be able to begin but coming to terms with the fact that the person who murdered and abducted her is still at large is a real problem for people."

Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111