POLICE were last night hunting the killer of a North-East woman.

Lorraine Turner, 37, originally of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was found dead with head injuries by her son Jordan, ten, and daughter, Jasmine, eight.

The children, nephew and niece of late soccer star David Rocastle, discovered their mother lying in a pool of blood at her home in Norwich on Saturday.

Detectives launched a murder inquiry yesterday after a Home Office pathologist established that she had died from head injuries.

Ms Turner grew up in Walker Lane, Newton Aycliffe, before leaving the North-East when she married Ian Jolly, a BBC TV producer, when she was in her early 20s.

The former Durham High School for Girls pupil kept in regular contact with her father, Peter Turner, who lived at the family home in Newton Aycliffe until his death in July 1999.

She would often bring her children to visit him and up until she died kept in contact with her uncle, David Turner.

Speaking at his home in Newton Aycliffe last night, Mr Turner said: "This has come as a great shock to the family. We do not know who would have wanted to do this to Lorraine.

"I spoke to my brother, Ken, who lives in Norwich, and he said that the children had discovered her body.

"Lorraine did get involved with an unsavoury character last year who was into drugs and goodness knows what else, and Ken has made a statement to the police about him.

"We cannot believe that this has happened. When she was younger Lorraine was very bright and bubbly and as she got older she was as good as gold.

"She used to tell me some of her problems, but she was not withdrawn. She called me about six weeks ago to see how I was and she seemed fine.

"There are a lot of people in Newton Aycliffe who know her and they remember her from school and college."

Police in Norfolk have set up a 20-man murder inquiry.

Ms Turner, who lived alone with her children, trained to be a journalist at Darlington College of Technology.

She had two children with Steve Rocastle, a prison officer and brother of late England and Arsenal footballer David Rocastle.