Grieving relatives lay flowers in country lane

Supported by police officers, Miss Yeates's parents David, 63, and Theresa, 58, laid a bouquet of flowers in Longwood Lane, close to Bristol and Clifton Golf Club, in Failand, North Somerset. The 25-year-old graduate's frozen body was discovered, clothed and covered by snow, by a couple who were walking their dogs along the lane at about 9am on Christmas Day.

The site is about three miles from Miss Yeates's flat in Clifton, Bristol, where she lived with her boyfriend Greg Reardon, 27.

Mr and Mrs Yeates laid a bunch of yellow roses in the lane with a picture of their daughter on her graduation day tucked inside the bouquet.

They had a brief moment together before being joined by others, including their son Chris and Mr Reardon, who left his own floral

tribute of red and yellow flowers.

The family stood by the flowers for about two minutes as Mrs Yeates wiped away tears with a handkerchief before they all walked closer to the spot where Miss Yeates's body was discovered.

They spent about eight minutes there – staying close to the far side of the lane, away from where police were carrying out forensic work.

Mr Yeates then comforted his wife as she broke down in tears while the family walked back to their cars.

A post-mortem examination of Miss Yeates's body began yesterday, but police said the cause of death would not be confirmed until today "at the earliest".

Officers are treating the death as suspicious and have appealed for witnesses.