Amanda's parents tell of their relief and sadness

The parents of Amanda Dowler said yesterday that they would not rest until the "monster" responsible for her murder was caught.

In their first public statement since the discovery of the remains of their daughter, known as Milly, Sally and Bob Dowler described their relief and sadness that the "long, agonising wait" was over.

"Now we can bring her home and say goodbye," they said. "A feeling of relief but so very, very sad. No one can hurt her now, our darling Milly. We will not rest until the monster responsible for this ghastly crime is brought to justice and is behind bars."

Police were continuing their search for evidence yesterday at Yateley Heath Wood, near Fleet in Hampshire, where the body of the 13-year-old, who went missing on 21 March, was found by two mushroom pickers on Wednesday. More than 50 officers from Hampshire and Surrey Police were conducting a fingertip search in a half-mile radius around the shallow grave where Amanda was found, and interviewing local people

Six dog teams trained in the recovery of human remains have been drafted in from the Metropolitan Police and an Army training base on the opposite side of the road from where the remains were found has been sealed off.

So far little evidence has been found. DNA tests are still being done on the remains but the results are not expected until midweek.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Denholm, who is leading the inquiry, said police had not found Amanda's clothes or other personal affects. They are still searching for her school uniform, purse and mobile phone.

Mr Denholm said: "It is much too early to start speculating on what exactly happened to Milly.

"We are appealing to anyone who may have visited Yateley Heath Forest and the surrounding area on Thursday 21 March or on the following days."

The items missing include a short grey skirt, a blue jumper, a dark blue school blazer, a school tie, white shirt, black shoes and a beige Jansport rucksack. Amanda's Nokia 3210 mobile phone had a grey metallic front and blue back with "Milly" written on the reverse. Her white purse had a red ace-of-hearts motif.

During the inquiry, police examined more than 350 sites and found two bodies unrelated to the crime. The discovery of Amanda's body raised hopes of a breakthrough in the hunt for her killer but police need to find evidence such as receipts or clothing that would give a clue to who buried the body. The remains, thought to have been exposed to the elements for six months, may not furnish many clues.

Amanda's parents attended a memorial service yesterday at St Mary's Church in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, a mile from their home. Mrs Dowler broke down in tears as the congregation prayed for justice for her daughter.

The Rev Graham Holdaway led prayers for all those involved in the investigation and "those who have had gruesome tasks to fulfil over the last few days". He said: "We support them with our prayers as they search for justice for Milly. We thank you that Amanda is in your gentle and loving hands, far from the cruelty and violence and harm of our world."