TRAGIC teenager Carly Bateman's short life and horrific death in November 2001 shocked the town.

Carly, aged 17, had turned to drugs and prostitution after running away from home when she was 14.

Her naked "waif-like" body was found dumped in undergrowth.

She had been strangled by client, 40-year-old Geoffrey Porter, who was jailed for her murder.

READ MORE: Life for the killer of Carly

During the trial Carly's step-brother Paul Ward told how the teenager had started dabbling with drugs at the age of just 12 and turned to prostitution to fund her habit, living on the streets and at a string of various locations.

READ MORE: Carly’s tragic life on the streets

She suffered from diabetes from aged four and had to be admitted to hospital several times because of the drugs.

When she died the 5ft 2ins tall girl weighed just over six stone, had been living in a hostel for homeless women and was one of more than a dozen local young girls selling their bodies for sex.

READ MORE: Carly's life as a prostitute

Her body was found at 3.30am by two men out on their mountain bikes, shortly after Porter had been seen giving a lift to two prostitutes by a police officer. He was said to be obsessed with young vice girls.

READ MORE: Killer's obsession with young vice girls

Porter was arrested for drink driving 45 minutes after Carly was discovered and admitted he had been looking for a prostitute, but was allowed to go.

He was identified as the killer after he tyre tracks were found at the scene, fibres from the teenager's body were discovered in his boot and his DNA was found under her armpits. He had carried her body from his car and dumped her.

Det Supt Tony Cook was in charge of the investigation into her death and later recalled: “I had never worked in Bolton and I was astounded to see the level of prostitution. I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“When we stumbled across her [Carly's] naked body she was a pitiful sight because she was so thin. She had been left in that back alley. It was a really sad scene.

“We were faced with a massive investigation, bearing in mind the amount of people that had been down that back alley. There were hundreds of used condoms and cigarette ends. We had to get hold of every punter that had been around on that night."

During the hunt for Carly's killer her mum, Vanessa Stirling, made an impassioned plea to young people not to get involved in drugs.

READ MORE: Carly mum's warning to teenagers

"If by speaking out it can save others from a similar fate then Carly will not have died in vain," she said.