DETECTIVES trying to piece together the last movements of murder victim Rachel Littlefair have launched a fresh appeal for witnesses.

The young mother's body was found in the bedroom of her house in Lanethorpe Crescent, Darlington, in the early hours of Monday morning. She had been strangled.

Her 18-year-old boyfriend Billy Clifton, father of the couple's 14-month-old daughter Caitlyn, appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe today charged with her murder.

Police are anxious to trace anybody who may have seen or heard Rachel, 20, on Sunday night or the early hours of Monday morning.

She is known to have spent the evening, and most of the day, in Darlington Market Place for the town's Orange festival.

She is believed to have caught a bus from a stop on West Row, near the Market Place, at 10.20pm.

She got off the bus at Hewitson Road, on the Firthmoor estate, at between 10.40pm and 10.50pm. She is then thought to have immediately walked the short distance to her home in Lanethorpe Crescent.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson, who is leading the murder investigation, said: "I would like to talk to anyone who may have been in the area of Hewitson Road or Lanethorpe Crescent and may have seen Rachel making the journey from the bus stop to her home address.

"I would also like to speak to anyone who was out walking in that area, or returning from an evening out, between 10.40pm and 12.15am the following morning who may have heard anything unusual."

He added: "As a result of an article in The Northern Echo, the response from the public has been good and we have got information and sightings of her earlier in the evening, but we haven't got anything specific after that."

Daughter Caitlyn was last night being cared for by Rachel's relatives, who are still too upset to talk about the tragedy.

Mr Clifton, who lived together with Rachel and their daughter in Lanethorpe Crescent, was remanded in custody by Sedgefield Magistrates. There was no application for bail and the defendant is next due to appear at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday, September 4.

Anyone with information about Rachel's death is asked to call the police incident room on (01325) 467681.

* The murder inquiry is the second to be launched in Darlington in a matter of days, coming less than a week after 27-year-old Nicola Impett was found dead at her parents' home.

Her boyfriend, Anthony Hilton, a 30-year-old maintenance electrician, of Sparrow Hall Drive, Darlington, has been charged with the murder of the Orange worker. He will appear at Teesside Crown Court tomorrow.