THE devastated parents of a murdered 10-year-old Leigh girl have spoken of their "beautiful, lively little girl".

Lauren Pilkington-Smith vanished after playing with friends in a park.

She was found by her grandfather in dense undergrowth near her home during a desperate late-night search.

As the hunt for the killer continued, the entire community around Lauren's home in Twist Lane, Leigh, was in mourning.

Dozens of floral tributes were placed near to the scene.

And the officer leading the murder hunt, Detective Superintendent Shaun Currie, warned parents to be vigilant. He said he did not want to alarm parents but urged them to warn children to be aware of strangers after reports of suspicious individuals in the area.

"The message to parents is that, while this is an horrendous incident, it is extremely rare," he said.

Detectives are trying to establish Lauren's final movements between leaving her friends at 7pm and being found in bushes at the end of Sanderson Street at 2.30am on Friday.

In a statement, Lauren's parents Glen, aged 37, and Alison, aged 35, said: "Lauren was a beautiful, lively little girl and the family have been left devastated by what has happened.

"Our world has collapsed in the last 24 hours and we can't even begin to think what we will do without her.

"Lauren was a tom-boy who loved playing with her friends and everyone around here loved her. She was football-mad and a huge Manchester United fan.

"She loved playing golf and riding her BMX. We don't know how we will come to terms with this."

Lauren had a brother, four-year-old Sam, and two sisters, 15-year-old Rebecca and two-year-old Ciara.

Supt Currie said Lauren's killer may have hidden her body in the dense bushes in a patch of woodland between Sanderson Street and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, to conceal the crime.

"We're still unsure exactly how Lauren died but I'm satisfied that the circumstances are suspicious enough for us to have launched a murder inquiry," he said.

"We are confident that the thorough forensic examination at the scene of the death we will get a better picture of how she was killed and who was responsible."

He added: "My officers will be patrolling the area with a view to reassuring the community and gathering evidence to find those responsible."

He said Lauren had been playing with friends in Firs Park, about half a mile away from her home, until 7pm when she left.

Her parents began searching for her at 8.30pm when they became concerned that she had not returned home and raised the alarm with police at 10.15 - three hours after Lauren was last seen.

Extra officers were drafted in to help with the hunt, which focused on the land between Twist Lane, where Lauren lived, and the canal.

The police helicopter was called to join the search. Up to 20 friends and family joined the search and used torches to scour the undergrowth.

Lauren's grandfather, Barry Smith, who lives next door to her parents in Twist Lane, found the body and the area was immediately sealed off.

Children at Leigh Church of England Primary School, where Lauren was a Year 6 pupil, were told by teachers at special assemblies and counsellors were brought in to help youngsters come to terms with the murder.

Headteacher Brian Fawcett said: "Pupils, particularly those in Lauren's class, are enormously upset and distressed by what has happened, as are we all.

"Lauren was a happy popular and successful pupil and it's hard to imagine that life at the school will ever be the same again. This is a tragedy that will stay with us for some time to come."

School pastor Rev Arthur Cunnigham added: "The fact that there are still some unanswered questions makes it even more difficult for us to some to terms with. I would urge anybody with information to contact police immediately."

The murder will reawaken painful memories of the death of 14-year-old Lisa Hession, whose body was discovered less than half a mile away from Lauren's home in 1984.

Like Lauren, Lisa had been playing with friends and failed to return to her mother's house on Bonnywell Road.

The killer has never been found, but police say they are not linking the two cases.

Anyone with information that can help police find Lauren's killer is asked to contact the incident room on 0161 856 7351 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.