Steve and Pat Hall are now hoping the police can finally bring about justice for their daughter Melanie and help them move forward after her remains were found on a motorway slipway near Bristol.

Speaking to the Wiltshire Times this morning, the couple, from Bradford Grove in Bradford Leigh, said this is the first time they have had something to focus on, after their daughter’s bones were found in black bin bags on the slip road of the M5 motorway, on Monday.

Hospital clerical worker Miss Hall, 25, was last seen in Cadillacs nightclub in Bath, in June 1996, at about 1.10pm.

Her father said he had never driven along the sliproad his daughter's remains were found next to, but he had driven down the M5 motorway on dozens of occasions.

Mr Hall, a former chairman of Bath Football Club, said: "They have never been able to place her actually outside the nightclub, so they have never been able to take the investigation forward.

"Now they have a starting point for the first time in 13 years."

Both of Miss Hall's parents said they had been shocked at the fact she had been found so close to their home, but were relieved they could finally lay her to rest, although no funeral service or memorial has been planned yet.

Mrs Hall said their older daughter Dominique, who is now 41 and lives in Kent with her three daughters aged 17,10 and four, was due to come and visit her parents at their home tomorrow.

She said: "I think because Dominique doesn't live here and lives in Kent, she is more isolated from all this.

"We are very lucky, as we have a very supportive family.

“Certainly the ten year old and four year old wouldn't really be aware (of what was happening now), but Charlotte, the eldest would have been about two and a half at the time and hasn't really got any recollection of her auntie."

Speaking about the night their daughter disappeared, the couple said they had not really stayed in contact with the friends Melanie was out with that night, including her boyfriend of three weeks, Dr Philip Kurlbaum, who worked at the Royal United Hospital in Bath at the time.

Mrs Hall said: "I did know them, but in essence they left her there (in the club that night) so we didn't keep in touch.

"There are quite a few of the people who worked at the hospital in Bath with Melanie that I am obviously in touch with.

"But 13 years is a long time and they (her friends) have grown up, they have families of their own."

They said they had only met surgeon Dr Kurlbaum, once and were not in touch with him now.

The couple described their daughter as a very caring individual, who had previously done work experience with the West Wiltshire Alzheimer's Support, which they say showed the kind of person she was.

Mrs Hall said: "She was a very attractive and fun loving girl. She hated being hungry and she hated being cold.

"She loved nice clothes and just thoroughly enjoyed herself."