THE man leading the hunt for the killer of Lucy Royle has made an emotional personal appeal for people to help catch her "brutal" killer.

He says she was viciously attacked and stabbed while she lay fatally wounded.

And Detective Superintendent Peter Minshall believes someone in the close knit community she lived in could have vital information.

A man walking his dog discovered the 21-year-old's body in a field off Old Barton Road at 11.30am on Saturday April 19.

Det Supt Minshall said: "I believe that there are people out there who can help us find Lucy's killer, but haven't come forward yet for some reason.

"This was an horrific attack on a defenceless young woman who suffered appalling injuries.

"Lucy was viciously attacked and suffered horrendous head injuries. While lying fatally wounded she was repeatedly stabbed in the back.

"This was a cowardly, brutal and senseless crime, and the person who committed it should not be walking the streets.

"I would ask anyone who has any information, no matter how unimportant they think it is to come forward.

"We need the public's help in tracking down this killer who has taken away the life of a bright and popular girl, and left her family devastated."

Police are appealing for dog walkers, joggers and drivers who were in the area on Friday April 18 to help them.

Lucy - who would have been 22 last Sunday - had left her family home on Jura Drive in Davyhulme, at 8.30pm on Good Friday.

It is thought she headed along Shetland Way, turned right into Barton Road, before going through the underpass beneath the M60.

When her body was discovered, a small, black rucksack style bag she was carrying and her phone, a pink Nokia 3410 with pictures of Bubblegum characters on it, were missing and have still not been found.

Police haves released pictures showing what the mobile phone would have looked like.

Det Supt Peter Minshall added: "No matter how insignificant you believe the information you have is, what you saw may be the key to catching the killer."

Anyone with any information should contact the incident room on 856 4343 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.