Grieving villagers leave flowers and messages for girls
Villagers in the home town of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells have been leaving flowers and messages of sympathy outside the local church.
A single pink rose lies outside St Andrew's Parish Church in Soham, with a note attached to it which simply asks: "Why?"
Inside the doorway of the church a visitors' book has been turned into an unofficial book of condolence, which is filling up fast with moving tributes to the girls.
Members of the tight-knit community have been silently passing the front door of the building to lay flowers, gifts and messages of sympathy, comfort and support to the families of the girls who are feared dead.
One note reads: "To Holly and Jessica, with all our thoughts and our love to two special people. We are so sorry your young lives were so cruelly cut short." Another one reads: "Soham's heart is broken."
Townsfolk have been continuing to arrive at the church throughout the day following the special service this morning.
A Manchester United replica T-shirt has been wrapped in a clear plastic bag with a message reading: "Rest in peace forever in the hearts of your loved ones and reside in the theatre of dreams for eternity, together in love."
Cuddly teddy bears have also been also left and pictures of the two young girls taken shortly before they vanished on August 4 are attached to many of the gifts.
Positioned between the bars of the gate leading into the church one message read: "I wish I could have been there in your hour of need."
Siobhan Piggott, 10, left a poignant poem for the girls at the gate of the church. It read "Death swoops down like a bat, And swoops down on a loved one, But it's not the end of that, Their soul still lives on."
