ANNETTE Nicholls' uncle today said he fears his niece is dead and told how he has spent hours searching for her body in the Nacton and Levington area.Peter Nicholls said the night before two bodies were found in the area on Tuesday, he had a vision of his niece walking in Nacton.

ANNETTE Nicholls' uncle today said he fears his niece is dead and told how he has spent hours searching for her body in the Nacton and Levington area.

Peter Nicholls said the night before two bodies were found in the area on Tuesday, he had a vision of his niece walking in Nacton.

Although police have not confirmed the identity of either corpse as the 29-year-old, Mr Nicholls believes that was the moment all hope was lost and her body had been dumped.

At 8am on the morning after his premonition, he left his Ipswich home, in Drake Avenue, and travelled to Nacton where he spent six hours searching for a body.

Less than two hours after he finished searching, police announced two more bodies had been found.

Mr Nicholls said: “I searched the whole area. I walked around fields in Nacton and in Levington Marina.

“At one point I wanted to stop but there was a taxi and three other cars behind me so I carried on further down the road. I later found out that was the spot where the women were found and I can't forgive myself for not looking there.

“When I heard the news I broke down in tears.”

Mr Nicholls said he wants a police officer to visit him to explain why a wider search was not carried out when the third woman was found.

He said: “I want answers. I want to know why I was the only one searching that area that day. I spent the whole day trying to get into this man's mind - a normal everyday man.

“The police don't seem to be doing that.”

Mr Nicholls said it was a year ago that he found that his niece had a drug addiction and was working as a prostitute.

He said: “Then three months ago I found out I had cancer and she came to visit me.

“She put her arms around me and asked how I was.

“She seemed more concerned about me than herself but she promised me she was clean and off the streets.

“All I can think about now is that moment when she hugged me - I can still feel it.

“It came as a massive surprise when I turned on the radio this week and found out she was missing and it was suspected that she was still working as a prostitute.”