THE mother of the best friend of murdered York backpacker Caroline Stuttle today told how her daughter had been left traumatised by her death.

Caroline, 19, had been travelling with Sarah Holiday, 20, from Huntington, York.

Sarah's mum, Ann, said today: "They thought the world of each other. They were very close friends, they loved each other. Sarah is extremely traumatised.

"They had been friends since they were at Huntington School, then they went to York College together. They saved up for this trip of a lifetime and they had both been working hard, doing part-time jobs since they left York College."

The girls were making the trip before taking up university places to study psychology, Caroline at Manchester and Sarah at Newcastle.

"They were both excellent pupils at school," said Ann.

"They both got good results and had masses of friends."

She said she and husband Alan had been inundated with calls from people commiserating about Caroline's death. "They were such good girls, they kept in touch with us every day, either by email or by phone.

"Sarah is beside herself with grief, and the British Consulate say they are going to get her home as soon as possible. Caroline was a beautiful, kind, caring girl and they've always looked out for each one another. We feel so much for Caroline's parents after this tragedy."

Caroline's mother Marjorie, who lives in Huntington Road, York, was still too upset to talk about the tragedy.

Speaking on her behalf, family friend David Marks, 55, said: "Caroline was a lovely girl, a beautiful girl and very easy-going, combine that with very clever and it's just a tragedy at that age that her life has been snuffed when she had everything to live for."

He said that Caroline was a "very sensible girl" who was safety minded. "For it to happen like this makes it an even bigger tragedy."

Mr Marks confirmed that the family had no current plans to fly to Australia.

He added: "She regularly called her mum. Marjorie spoke to her on either Sunday or Monday. She said she was tomato picking and she wasn't really enjoying it but that she was earning some money and that she loved her mum."

One of Caroline's closest friends, Sarah Clark, 19, was told of the death while at university in Reading.

Sarah's mother, Sue, from Whitestone Drive, Clifton, who is a receptionist at the Evening Press, said Caroline was like "one of the family".

"The girls grew up together and were really close. Caroline was a genuinely nice kid. My daughter is absolutely devastated."

Updated: 10:54 Friday, April 12, 2002