A MURDER inquiry was launched after a retired traffic warden was found battered to death in her home.The body of Jean Dicker, 58, was discovered by her son lying in the blood-spattered hallway of her bungalow in Craigfield Avenue, Clacton, shortly before 11.

A MURDER inquiry was launched after a retired traffic warden was found battered to death in her home.

The body of Jean Dicker, 58, was discovered by her son lying in the blood-spattered hallway of her bungalow in Craigfield Avenue, Clacton, shortly before 11.30pm on Wednesday.

She had suffered serious head injuries.

Two police officers spent the day with her son, who was distressed about what had happened to his mother.

Police yesterday carried out door-to-door enquiries while the detective leading the investigation, Detective Superintendent Gareth Wilson, of Essex Police's major investigation team, made an urgent appeal for information. He is desperate to trace her last movements from 8am on Wednesday to the time of her death.

"I'm calling for anybody who's a friend of Jean to contact us so we can get together a picture of Jean's life. We'd like to trace what she was doing yesterday (Wednesday) from 8am to 11.30pm. We'd like to hear from anybody who spoke to Jean or saw her, if she visited anyone."

"Anybody who has any information about sightings of people, cars or anything out of the ordinary they wouldn't usually associate with the premises in Craigfield Avenue – anything at all no matter how insignificant they think it is - should contact us," said Det Supt Wilson.

At the time of his statement to the press, Det Supt Wilson said police had not been able to look around the bungalow for signs of burglary or robbery because forensic scientists were still gathering evidence.

"She does appear to have been assaulted. She has serious head injuries," he said.

Mrs Dicker, whose husband died last year, lived with her son, aged in his mid-30s. She used to work as a traffic warden for Essex Police in Colchester until her retirement in 1996.

She also had a daughter, who lives in Colchester. She had two dogs, which yesterday had been taken away from the house.

A pathologist was due to carry out a post mortem examination yesterday.

Anyone with information, including anybody who saw Mrs Dicker in her blue Toyota Carina estate, registration P847KVW, should contact Clacton police on 01255 221312.