Man held over girl's killing

DETECTIVES HAVE arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the death of Rebecca Groves, 17, whose body was discovered in Thringstone, Leicestershire, on Saturday.

The suspect was taken to Loughborough police station for an interview. Rebecca, 17, was last seen alive at 11.30pm on Friday when she left the Hare and Hounds Pub in Whitwick, near Loughborough, where she had spent the evening with friends, a police spokesman said. Her family grew anxious when she failed to return home and contacted the police early the next morning after their own searches failed.

Their worst fears were realised when she was found dead on the edge of a wooded area in Thringstone at 6.30am on Saturday morning. Her body was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where a post mortem showed she had been strangled to death. There was also evidence of sexual assault.

In a statement, the teenager's family appealed to be left alone. "We have not yet even begun to understand what has happened or why. Rebecca was a wonderful young woman with her whole life in front of her," the statement said. "The family needs to be left to grieve and remember her."

Superintendent Graham Thomas appealed for anyone who saw Rebecca on Friday night or anyone who knows someone who returned home late on Friday or early Saturday with muddied clothing or in an agitated state to contact them.

"I would appeal for anyone with any information at all about how Rebecca came to meet her death, to contact the incident room at Coalville police station," Supt Thomas said.

Contact Supt Thomas on 0116- 222 2222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111