POLICE hope solving the mystery of the missing 55 minutes shortly before divorcee Shirley Brown was strangled to death in her Lowton home will lead to her killer.

Shirley, aged 46, was found dead on a dishevelled bed dressed in her nightclothes and a dressing gown in the bedroom of the neat bungalow she shared with her 10-year-old son Richard. She may have been sexually assaulted.

A pair of ladies tights was tied tightly around her neck, in what police describe as a brutal and horrific attack.

Her body was discovered at 6.35pm on Sunday at the bungalow in Allerby Way after Richard - who had spent the weekend with his father in Newcastle-upon-Tyne - arrived home but could not find his mother and called on neighbours to help.

On Friday night, Shirley spent the evening at the home of a girl friend in Billinge. Her 20 minute journey home took 75 minutes, say police.

The man leading the hunt for Shirley's killer, Det Supt John Waterworth, described the murder as "particularly nasty."

He is appealing for public help in tracking down Shirley's killer and is also anxious to find out her movements in the hours leading upto her death. She was last seen alive at 11.45pm on Friday night by a neighbour, 75 minutes after leaving a friend in Billinge - a journey which should have taken no more than 20 minutes.

Police are puzzled at where she went and who she was with in the missing 55 minutes, and are looking strongly at the possibility that the killer lives locally and could be someone she knew.

Mr. Waterworth said: "The person responsible for this brutal murder must be found as soon as possible. Shirley was a pleasant, law-abiding woman who was keen on bettering herself and lived with her young son. It is a very sad affair and the whole family, including her son, former husband and her elderly parents, who are in their 80s, are utterly distraught.

"I am appealing for anyone who knows where Shirley was between leaving her friend and arriving home to come forward, in confidence. I also appeal for any boyfriend she may have had to come forward to help."

Richard last saw his mother alive when he left home at 4pm on Friday with his father, David.

A coat, described as a highly coloured anorak, believed to have been owned by Shirley, was discovered hidden in bushes in Unsworth Avenue, 700 yards from her home, on Saturday.

Shirley was about 5ft 4ins, medium build, with shoulder length dark hair. She was seen on Friday night wearing blue denim jeans, a long sleeved denim shirt and black flat shoes.

She also had a purple button-up cardigan and was driving her Fiesta car, registration number M194 PHG, which Mr. Waterworth is hoping had been spotted by keen-eyed members of the public during the time she was missing.

Shirley was studying an English Literature degree at Newton-le-Willows College and should have taken an examination on Monday.

Mr. Waterworth said: "Forensic and scenes of crime examinations are ongoing, but I can also confirm that the telephone wires outside the house were torn apart and we are also looking at this angle of the inquiry. Again I appeal for anyone who saw anything suspicious to come forward."

Anyone with information they believe can help the police is asked to contact the Leigh incident room on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers detectives on the hotline number 0800 555 111. All calls will be treated in confidence.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.