A GRIEVING daughter has today told of her continuous feeling of loss after her father died in police custody two years ago today.

A GRIEVING daughter has today told of her continuous feeling of loss after her father died in police custody two years ago today.

Ian Snelling, 51, collapsed and died in a cell at Felixstowe police station on September 1, 2006.

Today his beloved daughter Michelle said she still loved him as much as she did when he was alive, and they spent nearly every day together.

She said: “So much has happened since he died and sometimes you can forget how good everything was before.

“I miss him more and more as the time goes on and there is a huge part of my life that is gone with him.

“He was always there, he was my rock and I was really really close to him.

“I was a real daddy's girl. We would talk about life or just watch television and mess around.

“It is the little things you never think of that you miss the most when someone is taken away.

“I just want him to know, wherever he is, that I still think about him and still love him.”

Miss Snelling, 21, had been hoping that the inquest into her father's death would begin last week, but it was put off again, prolonging her agony.

Mr Snelling, of Manwick Road, Felixstowe, died two hours after he had been arrested at the VK1 off licence in Undercliff Road West on suspicion of theft.

The case was automatically handed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission but following an investigation it was decided no prosecutions would be brought against the officers involved in the incident.

The inquest had been due to begin on Tuesday but was stopped because the family's barrister suffered a stroke the night before. A date for the next inquest is yet to be set but it is thought it could take months.

Do you wan to pay tribute to Ian Snelling? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.