Stacey Lawrence's mother warns of paedophile risk

The mother of tragic Black Country girl Stacey Lawrence today appeared on TV to warn other single mums after her fiance killed the nine-year-old.

Stacey Lawrence's body was found in the cab of a white Spar lorry parked in a lay-by in Warmington, Northamptonshire, on August 29 in 2009.

Her mother's fiance, Bilston lorry driver Darren Walker, aged 40, with whom Stacey had been on a delivery run, had sexually abused the youngster then strangled her before taking his own life. He was found hanged from a tree in nearby woodland with strapping made from the same material he used to strangle Stacey.

Speaking this morning on the Jeremy Kyle show, Stacey's mother Roxanne Lawrence, aged 39, of Bagnall Street, West Bromwich, said she had believed Walker was her "Prince Charming". "I want to get through to single mothers out there and tell them what we have been through," said Roxanne, who was on the show with Stacey's older sister Emma Hammond.

"I described Darren as my Prince Charming and he was great and really swept me off my feet. We were together for a year-and-a-half and Stacey asked me if she could call Darren 'Dad'." Roxanne said the last time she saw Stacey was on the Friday morning before she went out with Walker in his lorry. "On the Saturday morning I was texting them but getting no answer, but I knew they would have been up late and so I thought they would be sleeping," she said.

"A couple of hours later I started to panic and began making phone calls — his company said that the tracker in his vehicle hadn't moved since the night before."

At 4.15pm on August 29, officers knocked on her front door. "We knew that two bodies had been found and that Darren had hung himself, but at that time we didn't know what had happened to Stacey," said Roxanne. "However, at 11pm I was told that Stacey had been strangled."

An inquest ruled the nine-year-old had been unlawfully killed, while Walker had taken his own life. Roxanne added: "I want women to be more wary and don't let anyone be alone with your children — you have to never let your guard down."