Mother's body hidden for a week

THE body of a 32-year-old mother-of-two probably lay in the boot of a car parked outside a railway station for more than a week, detectives have revealed.

Police believe that cleaner Inga Losiene - who had a six-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter - was killed at her home in Southend, and was then left in a red Vauxhall Astra less than 500 yards away.

Police are searching for Ms Losiene's partner Farik Farukh, also 32. He is known to have driven to Ipswich with her children on the day she disappeared and stayed overnight.

The next morning his car broke down in the Trimley area and they eventually got a train back to Southend. He left the children with relatives and then went missing himself the following day.

Ms Losiene's father, Alexus Chmieliauskas, 56, appealed yesterday for Mr Farukh to contact police.

Ms Losiene vanished on Friday, May 27. Mr Farukh went missing two days later.

Ms Losiene's body was found outside Southend East rail station last Sunday. Police believe the car was left there in the early hours of Saturday, May 28.

Detective Superintendent Simon Dinsdale, who is leading the inquiry, said Mr Farukh was an Iraqi Kurd who lived with Ms Losiene in Southend but also had connections with Ipswich and the West Midlands.

Mr Dinsdale said he had no reason to believe Mr Farukh had come to any harm and wanted to speak to him as a matter of urgency.

He said it was likely at least one other person had been involved in moving Ms Losiene's body from her home to the car.

Ms Losiene came from Kounas, Lithuania, and had lived in Britain since 1999, police said.

Her father travelled from Lithuania last week to help search for his daughter and broke down yesterday as he appealed for help finding her murderer.

"I want to appeal directly to Farik to come forward and tell the police what he knows," said Mr Chmieliauskas.

"I need to know what my daughter was killed for. What did she do to deserve to die?

"Inga possessed the best qualities ever. She was a loving and honest mother.'

He added: "It is important for the sake of her children that we get some answers.

"People in the community must know what happened. I want to ask them to trust the police and tell them any information they have.

"We cannot accept what has happened until we have some answers.'

Mr Chmieliauskas was speaking through an interpreter at a police media conference in Southend.

Mr Dinsdale said: "I would also appeal to Farik Farukh. We have been looking for him since Inga's disappearance and I would appeal for him to come forward and speak to police.'

Mr Dinsdale said Ms Losiene's children were staying with relatives and were being interviewed by specialist police officers.

"They are helping us with our inquiries,' he added. "They are being talked to by members of our Child Protection Unit.'

He said the car in which Ms Losiene's body was found had been bought in Leicester on May 12 by four men who were described as being of Arabic appearance.

He urged anyone who had seen the car in the past few weeks to contact police.

Police said the car did not belong to Ms Losiene or Mr Farukh as far as they were aware.

Mr Dinsdale said Mr Farukh was known to have "extensive contacts' with the Iraqi community in Britain and he urged anyone with information about him to contact police.