Lorraine Cox: Father of murdered woman wants CCTV control room

Tony Cox said his daughter Lorraine was the "heartbeat of our family"

The father of a woman who was murdered after being followed through city centre streets has said "it must never ever happen again".

Lorraine Cox was walking home in Exeter when she was targeted by Azam Mangori, who steered her back to his flat before killing her.

Tony Cox now wants there to be a fully-staffed CCTV control room in the city.

It would form part of a range of measures he hopes will mean "there will never be another Lorraine".

Mr Cox has also called for a direct phone line to the control room, and night buses in Exeter City Centre on Friday and Saturday nights.

He said: "We feel that if we can get these changes we want, people will be able to walk the streets, feel safe, not look over their shoulder, not be in fear, and re-enter the city centre at night, because a lot of people don't."

Lorraine Cox was followed as she was walking home through the city centre

"We never ever want another Lorraine - that can never ever happen again. My daughter was walking home through the city centre that fateful night, just walking home.

"She was taken from us by a spineless coward. Her loss will be in our hearts forever - it will be forever broken.

"Our main objective is to give Lorraine a lasting memory, so something good can come out of the worst possible tragedy."

Mr Cox, with his family, friends and other supporters will go on a 13 mile (21km) walk around Exeter on 6 March to raise awareness of the problem of violence against women and to campaign for safer streets.

Money raised will go to Devon Rape Crisis.

Caroline Voaden, CEO of the charity, said: "Almost every single young woman will have reports of being catcalled or touched in a club or pub or have comments made when they out for a run.

"That is enormous, it's everywhere, it's widespread and it really needs to be addressed."

Tony Cox is organising and taking part in a 13.1 mile walk charity walk to raise money for Devon Rape Crisis

Lorraine Cox was 32 when she went missing on 1 September 2020.

At Mangori's trial in March 2021 Exeter Crown court heard he killed Ms Cox in his flat and left her body there for a week.

Parts of her body were later found in an alley next to the flat and in woodland at Newton St Cyres, about six miles (9km) away.

Mangori, of Dartmouth Road, Stoke-on-Trent, was found guilty of murder and had previously admitted preventing a lawful burial.

He was told he would serve at least 20 years in jail.

Mr Cox said she was "the heartbeat of our family" and "was a character that everybody loved".