A FATHER of one of the dead women in Ipswich today praised the community for their generous donations to a fund and said it was time for his family to return to normality.

A FATHER of one of the murdered women in Ipswich today praised the community for their generous donations to a fund and said it was time for his family to return to normality.

Brian Adams, whose daughter Gemma was the first of five women to be found dead in Suffolk, thanked the people of Ipswich for helping the family raise more than £9,000 so far for the children's hospice in Ipswich in memory of the 25-year-old.

Mr Adams, of Kesgrave, said: “We are very much encouraged by all of this. We have been hit by a tragedy of immense proportions.

“We haven't got over the shock but having got through the first two or three weeks we just sat down and decided something positive must come out of this.

“People are giving at a particularly difficult time for themselves - just after Christmas is a difficult time but they have found it within themselves to give. The message has been overwhelming.”

In an interview with Radio Suffolk he thanked everybody who has donated to the fund and to those who have offered messages of goodwill.

But he also explained that it was time for the family to try to return to some kind of normality.

He said: “I did go back to work before Christmas and the people I work with have been fantastic.

“My wife is trying to get back to normality. I don't think our lives will ever be back to what they were but I think we will be enriched by this fundraising.”

Mr Adams said the family chose to set up a fund for the children's hospice because the vicar of their nearby church, Robin Spittle, is also the chairman of the charity.

He said: “They have also lost some funding in recent years and are local as were the murders.

“A child gets a life threatening disease and their family are in it (the situation) through no choice of their own and we believe by helping them it will ease the stress of the last few weeks.”

Mr Adams described his daughter as someone who helped other people and animals when she was younger and would have been proud to help the fund.

He added: “There are four other families involved in this tragedy. Our hearts go out to them as a family as well.”

n. What do you think of the fund? Write to Your Letters, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk