The parents of missing Bradford on Avon woman Melanie Hall have made an emotional appeal for her killer to be found after human remains found by the side of the M5 were confirmed as hers.

Miss Hall, 25, a clerical worker at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, went missing more than 13 years ago after leaving a nightclub in Bath.

Yesterday morning, her anguished parents Steve and Pat Hall, of Bradford Grove, Bradford Leigh, described how the body of their “vibrant and happy” daughter had been discarded by the side of a motorway like a “bag of garbage”.

The grim discovery of her remains was made by a motorway maintenance worker, by the junction 14 slipway, on Monday morning.

The remains were wrapped in a black plastic sack, which had been disturbed, probably by animals. Bones including a skull and pelvis were found.

Police were able to identify the remains as Miss Hall’s through dental records and a patterned ring found at the scene.

Mr Hall, 65, a former chairman of Bath Football Club, said: “Thirteen years ago we had a young, vibrant daughter, happy, with a future in front of her.

“Today we have a bag of bones, disgarded on the side of the motorway. We are looking at a horrendous crime.

“It is untold anguish for myself, my wife and my family. It is an anguish that will not go away in the years to come. We have part of an answer now, but it’s only part.

“We have always believed that someone out there has a pretty good idea what happened to Melanie.

“A crime of this nature in fact most crimes, people often can’t keep a secret.

“I hope they find the strength of will to come forward. Now is the time to come forward and finally let this crime, as it is now, to rest.”

Miss Hall’s mother Pat, 64, added: “We have had a tremendous amount of help from the people of Bath.

“Over the last 13 years we have had three things we have really wanted to know. Where Melanie was, who was involved in what is now a murder and also we want to know why? What circumstances led to her murder?

“We are relying very much on everybody to come up with information on our other two questions, who and why.

“It’s a relief to know that at least part of her body has been found and we can at least bury her properly.

“I feel very angry that she has been dumped on the side of the road like a bag of garbage.”

Gary Davies, district commander at Avon and Somerset Police, said: “The search for Melanie is over. The search for her killer will never end.

“It’s extremely sad and extinguishes any glimmer of hope that Melanie will be found alive. Our commitment to finding Melanie’s killer is absolute.”

Detective Superintendent Mike Courtiour, head of the major crime investigation unit, will be leading the murder inquiry.

He said Miss Hall’s body had probably been at the side of the motorway for a considerable amount of time.

Miss Hall was last seen at 1.10am on June 9, 1996, by the side of the dancefloor at the former Cadillacs nightclub, in Walcot Street, Bath.

She had been on a night out with friends and her new boyfriend, Dr Phillip Karlbaum, a surgeon at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, where she also worked.

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