FAMILY and friends of Gemma Adams were today preparing to say goodbye to a bright and bubbly girl who was always full of fun.Mourners at the funeral of the 25-year-old who was found dead in December were due to follow a horse drawn carriage into St Andrew's Church in Rushmere St Andrew where they will be able to say their last goodbyes.

FAMILY and friends of Gemma Adams were today preparing to say goodbye to a bright and bubbly girl who was always full of fun.

Mourners at the funeral of the 25-year-old who was found dead in December were due to follow a horse drawn carriage into St Andrew's Church in Rushmere St Andrew where they will be able to say their last goodbyes.

Following a church service, Miss Adams was due to be buried in the church grounds, which is close to her parents' Kesgrave home.

A thanksgiving service is then due to take place to remember the youngster.

Miss Adams was the first of five women, who were sex workers in the town, to be found dead in Ipswich in December and is the fourth of them to be laid to rest in the past two weeks.

Tania Nicol, 19, Paula Clennell, 24; Anneli Alderton, 24 and Annette Nicholls, 29 were all found dead in various places around Ipswich in a ten day period just before Christmas.

Miss Adams was the second woman to go missing and was last seen at 1.15am on November 15 in West End Road, Ipswich.

Her body was discovered several weeks later on December 2 in Belstead Brook near Hintlesham.

In December her devastated parents described the former Kesgrave High School pupils as a bright and bubbly girl who was full of fun.

Brian Adams said: “That's the only way to describe her. She was good company, bright and intelligent. “If you asked her to do anything she would do it well. We never had any rows with her at home.

“One of her teachers described her as 'an ordinary intelligent girl from a nice family' and that's exactly what she was."

During her younger years Miss Adams had belonged to the Brownies and enjoyed playing the piano and horse riding.

She had been besotted with her pet dog, Holly, who she rescued as a puppy 11 years ago and had lived at the family home along with Miss Adam's older sister, Carla, and younger brother, Jack.

Miss Adams had been living with her boyfriend, Jon Simpson, in Blenheim Road, Ipswich, at the time of her death.

An on-line book of condolences put on the Evening Star website was flooded with tributes for Miss Adams.

One note said: “I would just like to say that the friends and family of Gemma are in my thoughts at this sad time.

“It goes without saying that this type of incident just isn't deserved by anyone. Mel, Ipswich.”

Following her death her family set up Gemma's Gift, a fund to raise money for the East Anglian Children's Hospices in her memory.

So far more than £20,000 has come pouring in.

n. Steve Wright, 48 of London Road, Ipswich has been charged with the murder of all five women and is due to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on May 1.

SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER PANEL

FOLLOWING the deaths of the five women, The Evening Star has set up a memorial fund in conjunction with Ipswich Borough Council to make sure vulnerable young people in the town get the help they need.

A rehabilitation centre is planned along with a memorial to the women, but we need the help of the people in the town.

Already several thousands of pounds have been raised for The Somebody's Daughter appeal but we need people to keep fundraising to make sure the help is there for those who need it.

Donations to the Somebody's Daughter memorial fund can be made in a variety of ways.

On line by visiting www.eveningstar.co.uk/daughter

In person at Ipswich Borough Council's customer service centre in the Town Hall

Over the phone by calling 01473 433777

By cheque, made payable to Somebody's Daughter Memorial Fund, to PO Box 772, Ipswich Borough Council, Grafton House, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DE