Kayleigh Haywood murder: 'No signs' of online grooming

Kayleigh Haywood was murdered last November after being groomed online

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who was raped and murdered say they saw "no signs" she was being groomed.

Kayleigh Haywood was found dead in undergrowth in Leicestershire last November.

Her killer, Stephen Beadman, was jailed for life, while groomer Luke Harlow was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Speaking on the first anniversary of their daughter's death, Stephanie Haywood and Martin Whitby said they felt "heartbroken" every day.

Luke Harlow (left) groomed Kayleigh and his friend and neighbour Stephen Beadman raped and murdered her

Kayleigh, from Measham, Leicestershire, started exchanging messages with Harlow on Facebook two weeks before she was killed, believing he was her boyfriend.

Mrs Haywood said she had no idea Kayleigh had a boyfriend.

"There were no signs... no mood swings, nothing different about Kayleigh to make us aware that there were messages being sent or she was being groomed," she said.

"[We felt] devastated. We felt like we'd let her down but we didn't know. There were no signs at all."

Kayleigh's body was found in a hedgerow on the outskirts of Ibstock after a huge police search

In an open letter about their grief, Kayleigh's parents said Kayleigh's brothers and sisters shout "we love you Kayleigh" to the sky each time they visit her grave.

"Each time they do it still breaks our hearts," the letter said.

"As the young ones grow up enough to understand, we will tell them about their beautiful big sister who lives in the sky, all about her favourite things, her school days, her holidays and Christmas and how she loved to brush her beautiful long hair."

A church service will be held in Measham later to celebrate Kayleigh's life.

Mrs Haywood said: "The family will never be as one now because there's one missing... but we will live on and we will keep her legacy going."

"We still ask why"

Where do we begin? Here we are, the first anniversary of losing our beautiful daughter Kayleigh.

How we have come this far we will never know. We go day-by-day. We cannot cope with more than that.

Our beautiful princess Kayleigh was tragically taken from us one year ago - a heartache that no parent should have to go through. It was certainly something we never ever thought we would ever have to experience.

We will never ever get over this tragedy. Never.

We still cry so many tears, [and] still ask why?

It is hard to believe we have gone one full year without our beautiful daughter Kayleigh.

It all seems such a blur and now today, on Kayleigh's anniversary, we relive that horrific heartache and pain that hit us one year ago today and have felt ever since.