Dead daughter's house burgled

Karen Brazier was stunned to find thieves had broken into 28-year-old Clair's flat, in Meadow Road, East Worthing, just days after she died there of a suspected drugs overdose.

Mrs Brazier, 49, of Nelson Road, Durrington, has not been able to go through her daughter's belongings because the flat has been sealed by detectives for the last three weeks while investigations continue into her death.

She said: "They told me I was not to go to the flat as it had been secured, as it was supposed to be a crime scene but, when my son went round there, he found the door wide open."

Mrs Brazier said police had told her burglars used a key to get into the flat and took a television, DVD player, personal treasures and a karaoke game that recorded Madonna's Like a Virgin '” a duet Mrs Brazier sang with her daughter in one of the final special times they shared together.

"The people who did this are the scum of the earth. They have taken all my last memories of her.

"Especially as it must have been people who knew her because they had a key. You can't get much lower than stealing from the dead."

The family, including brother Daniel, has endured an agonising wait for police to release Miss Brazier's body after medical tests were needed to determine how she died.

Her dad, Les, 52, who lives in Bulgaria, flew to England in January when the funeral was due to take place, only for it to be postponed.

Asked how she felt about the wait, Mrs Brazier said: "It has just been horrendous. We keep making arrangements only for them to be cancelled again. Relatives keep asking what's going on because they need to book time off work and still we have no idea.

"Les had to fly back to Bulgaria and we don't know if he'll be able to come over again."

The family hope to go ahead with a funeral service at Worthing Crematorium at 1.40pm on Valentine's Day.

Police declined to comment but confirmed they were investigating the incident.