Family plea to catch park killer

Beatrice Jones speaks at the press conference

The family of a sales consultant found murdered in Glasgow's Queen's Park appealed to the people of the city to help catch her killer.

The partially-clothed body of Moira Jones, 40, was discovered by a park ranger last Thursday. She had been sexually attacked and beaten to death.

Police believe Ms Jones was involved in a scuffle near where she parked her car and was then murdered in the park.

Her mother Beatrice, 67, said the heart had been "torn out" of her family.

Mrs Jones, who was accompanied by her husband Hugh, 69, and Moira's younger brother Grant, said: "I know you will want to help us - you are Glasgow people and Moira loved Glasgow."

Her voice shaking, she added: "She could not have been more loving. She has been taken from us in a most vicious and senseless way."

Mr and Mrs Jones had travelled to Scotland from their home in Staffordshire to attend the news conference, while their son had travelled from Australia.

You must stop the heart being torn out of another family Beatrice Jones

Speaking at the news conference, Det Ch Insp Derek Robertson, of Strathclyde Police, said Ms Jones had been out with friends on Wednesday evening in the Cranstonhill area and had driven home at 2230 BST.

He said it is a journey that typically takes 15 minutes suggesting Ms Jones parked her black Toyota car near her home at 80 Queen's Drive some time after 2245 BST.

Toiletries and her handbag strap have been found on a grassy area nearby, leading police to believe she had become involved in a scuffle.

Det Ch Insp Robertson said Ms Jones may then have been led about 60 yards down the road to the park's entrance. Her body was found inside the park where the detective said she was murdered.

He said: "Moira Jones was savagely beaten in that park.

"I would ask if anyone in the Queen's Drive area at around 1045 on Wednesday night saw anything suspicious, saw any disturbance or heard any noises, to contact us."

The body of Moira Jones was found last Thursday

The person responsible would have been wet and possibly covered in dirt because of the heavy rain on the night of the murder.

"I would ask anyone who knows any information about a friend, colleague, even a family member, who came home during the early hours of Thursday morning in this kind of condition to contact us as it may be very important."

He said officers were also looking for two gold rings believed to have been removed from Ms Jones's body.

One had a green coloured stone, the other was an older ring with alternate rubies and diamonds. Both were small in size.

MURDER SCENE 1: Ms Jones parked her car on Queens Drive after 2245 BST 2: It is believed she was led about 60 yds to the park's entrance 3: Her body was found on Thursday at about 0945 BST

It also emerged that Ms Jones's purse was missing from her handbag.

Mrs Jones said the family were devastated by her daughter's murder.

She said: "Please think hard. If you saw or heard anything, if you have the slightest suspicions, you must tell the police.

"You must stop the heart being torn out of another family."

Queen's Park remains cordoned off while a forensic team continues to search the area.