Stacey's mother visits murder scene

Speaking of her devastating loss, Roxanne Lawrence, ahed 38, of Bagnall Street, said her "Prince Charming", trucker Darren Walker, had turned into "a beast".

Walker, aged 40, of Hickman Road, Bilston, is believed to have sexually assaulted and strangled the schoolgirl in the cab of his lorry, before hanging himself in nearby woodland.

Mrs Lawrence and Stacey's sister Emma Hammond, aged 17, visited the lay-by on the in A605 in Warmington to pay tribute to the nine-year-old.

Emma laid a floral tribute before both women broke down in tears.

Mrs Lawrence said she was struggling to come to terms with what happened – and how wrong she was about her boyfriend of 18 months, who Stacey called "dad".

She said: "Friday morning I loved him," she said. "Now I hate him for what he has done to her.

"In a nutshell I thought he was my prince charming.

"He was brilliant with the kids and a family man. I couldn't believe how lucky I was.

"He would never have been with me if I had ever had an inkling that he could do anything like this.

"The man who did this was an animal, a beast."

In an emotional tribute to her "thoughtful and selfless" daughter Mrs Lawrence said the animal-mad nine-year-old, who dreamt of becoming a zoo-keeper, would always think of others before herself.

"When she had pocket money she would buy us a present," she said.

"At Christmas she didn't want presents, she wanted to adopt an animal."

She fought tears as she told how Stacey – who they dubbed "baby trucker" – loved spending time with Walker.

She said that in her last conversation with him, on Friday night, there was no indication anything was wrong. "She had been with him about four or five times before," said Mrs Lawrence.

"I had a normal conversation with him. They were waiting to watch Eastenders."

"We would not have let her go if we had thought anything.

"Stacey loved him. She enjoyed the family life that she had got.

"She enjoyed the trips to the zoo and family days out. She just enjoyed being part of a proper family like her friends had.

"Initially she never used to go with him, but she asked why she couldn't. I said I didn't think she'd be interested because she was a girl, but it turned out she was.

"We used to call her the 'baby trucker' because she enjoyed it so much."

Emma added that Walker "was just a normal family man that seemed like they cared for their family and would protect us".

CCTV footage showing the last time the youngster was seen alive has been released by police. Images show Stacey, dressed in a pink top, happily shopping with Walker at services on the A47 in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, on Friday.

It is believed they made the short stop before going on to the lay-by in Warmington for a meal of macaroni cheese watching My Family and Eastenders.

Hours later both were discovered dead.

Detectives say that there was evidence of sexual touching, but no sexual assault, involved in the run-up to the schoolgirl's death.

They have traced several of Walker's former partners as part of the inquiry.

Picture from South West News Service.