Parents of April Jones finally free to bury daughter as inquest concluded

The parents of murdered April Jones can at last begin to plan their daughter's funeral after an inquest into her death was concluded.

The five-year-old schoolgirl was snatched outside her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales, last October before being murdered by Mark Bridger.

The 47-year-old paedophile refused to tell police what he had done with April's body - although officers did recover fragments of her skull from his fireplace.

The 17 tiny pieces of bone is all that her mother Coral and father Paul have left of their daughter.

They have said that not having her body or being able to properly lay her to rest has made their hell worse.

However, Powys Coroner Louise Hunt said she hoped the conclusion of April's inquest - which now paves the way for her funeral arrangements to begin - would be a small comfort to the Jones family.

She said: "I want to extend my sympathies for your terrible loss.

"There will be no further formal proceedings and I hope the coming to an end of them will give you time to allow you to deal with your grief."

PA