The father of murdered prostitute Janine Downes said today he still believed her killer would be brought to justice – 19 years after her battered body was found in a Shropshire lay-by.

John Downes said he refused to give up hope and was now pinning his faith on advances in DNA technology.

The half-naked body of 22-year-old Janine was discovered close to a hedge on the A464 Shifnal to Wolverhampton road on February 2, 1991.

Officers have recently completed the latest in a number of “cold case” reviews into the unsolved murder and the details are contained in a report.

But in an exclusive interview with the Shropshire Star Mr Downes, of Low Hill, Wolverhampton, revealed the family had not heard from police in 18 years and relied on newspapers for updates on the investigation.

“We haven’t heard from the police in a long, long time,” he said.

“Every anniversary comes and goes and the painful memories come flooding back. People see it in the papers and they want to talk to you about it.

“But give up hope? Never. With the advances in technology nowadays people are being brought to justice for crimes committed up to 30 years ago, so we cling onto the hope that one day that big breakthrough will come and we can get a bit of closure.”

The 71-year-old also spoke of his hurt at clai-ms Janine, a mother-of-three whose children live in Wolverhampton, came from a “broken home” that led to a downward spiral into prostitution.

He said: “She did not come from a broken home at all.

“Her mother died and at first I brought her and my other three children up on my own in Penn Fields, but she eventually moved to live with her grandmother in Low Hill because she knew more people there.

“She was very much loved.”

John claimed the family did not know Janine had turned to prostitution until she was arrested one night for soliciting.