Gemma detectives investigate shoe find

DETECTIVES investigating the murder of Gemma Adams are today carrying out tests on a pair of Nike trainers found at an Ipswich garage.

Wilco Fast Fit in Norwich Road is still cordoned off today after a member of the public found a training shoe in the car park at around 3pm yesterday.

The immediate area was sealed off yesterday afternoon for police to search the area and officers will now conduct forensic tests on the footwear to see if it has any links to the 25-year-old.

Detective chief inspector David Skevington, overseeing the investigation, said: "I am encouraged that local people are aware of our appeals through the media and are responding. I would like to thank them for their help so far and ask them to continue to assist us by passing on any information they may have."

The garage is likely to remain closed throughout today.

Gemma, of Blenheim Road, Ipswich was known to be wearing Nike trainers on the night of her disappearance. Her body was discovered in an isolated brook in Hintlesham on Saturday.

Yesterday officers conducted extensive searches of the red light area in Ipswich in the hope of finding clues which could lead them to missing prostitute Tania Nicol, however nothing was recovered.

The 19-year-old has not been seen since about 11pm on Monday October, 30 in the Handford Road area.

Police are not yet linking Tania's disappearance with the murder of fellow vice girl Gemma but the investigating teams are working closely together due to the similarities between the cases.

Yesterday, clothing was found within a cordoned off area in Hintlesham but police will not know if was linked to Gemma for several days.

It has also emerged police are not investigating whether a German serial killer could be behind Gemma's murder, despite the team investigating the disappearance of Tania asking for articles about him from the force's press office.

Kerry Nicol, Tania's mum, said she still hopes her daughter will return home safe and well.

Speaking of when Gemma's body had been identified, she said: “I still wish it (the body) hadn't been Gemma. Even then I was still worried at the back of my mind it was her (Tania).”

Ms Nicol said she hoped her daughter might be with someone who wouldn't let her use her phone and said she was angry with herself that she didn't know her daughter had turned to prostitution.

She said Tania was an intelligent girl and she couldn't understand why she did something “so stupid and so dangerous”.