Peter Chapman appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court

Peter Chapman appeared in court on the day the mother of his alleged victim warned parents not to let their children use social networking sites such as Facebook and to make sure they know where they are at all times.

Andrea Hall’s warning came as 32-year-old Mr Chapman appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court accused of the manslaughter of her daughter, Ashleigh, 17.

Ashleigh’s body was discovered in a field outside Sedgefield, County Durham, on Monday evening.

The childcare student had left her home in Cockerton, Darlington, on Sunday evening, telling her mother she was staying overnight at a friend’s house.

In reality she was going to meet someone she had met on the Facebook website.

Yesterday, some newspapers speculated that Ashleigh may have died through suffocation. However, results of a post-mortem examination failed to determine the cause of her death.

Police said the results were inconclusive and that further tests would be carried out.

Mr Chapman, of no fixed address, is accused of unlawfully killing Ashleigh at Sedgefield between October 24 and 26.

He is also accused of unlawfully and by force or fraud carrying away Ashleigh against her will and is facing charges of failing to notify a change of address as required under the Sexual Offences Act.

Mr Chapman entered no plea and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth, and to reply “No”

when asked if he had an address.

Magistrates committed the case to Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday. No application for bail was made and Mr Chapman was remanded into custody until his next court appearance.

Last night, Ms Hall paid tribute to her “loving, honest, caring and well-liked”

daughter and spoke of how the community had rallied around to help her family in its time of need.

She said: “No one can imagine the hurt and devastation that has hit our family.

“Everybody loved her. She was a person who brought light into the lives of others.”

Ashleigh was the eldest of four children and Ms Hall said her three other daughters – Olivia, six, Ellie, four, and one-year-old Evie – had been left distraught.

She said: “To have Ashleigh taken from us in such circumstances is beyond belief and I don’t want other families to suffer what we are going through.

“Tell your kids to be careful on the internet.

“Don’t meet someone without telling your family where you are going.

“Don’t trust anybody and don’t put your children on Facebook or other sites if they are underage.

“We have learned a terrible lesson.

“All we ask now is that people help the police in any way they can.

“We don’t want another child to be a victim.”

Ashleigh was a former Hurworth School pupil and was a second-year student on the diploma in childcare and education programme at Darlington College.

She hoped to have a career as a childminder, teaching assistant or nursery nurse.

In a statement released last night, the college said: “Governors, staff and students are devastated to receive this tragic news. Ashleigh was very motivated and enthusiastic, and loved working with children.

“She was an extremely popular member of the group, had lots of friends here at college, and was known to be very supportive to them.

“Her tutors described her as ‘just a lovely student to teach’.

“She will be so sadly missed by us all, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family.”

Cockerton borough councillors Jenny Chapman and David Regan have decided a bulb-planting session in Branksome and Cockerton on Saturday will be carried out in Ashleigh’s memory.

Coun Chapman said: “Planting bulbs is a beautiful, lasting way to remember her young life.

“What happened to Ashleigh has shocked us all, particularly young people.

“We want to show our respect for Ashleigh and her family as a community.”

The bulb planting will take place at 10am, meeting at the corner of Newton Lane and Whitby Way.