WILTSHIRE mum Ruth Halliday has made an impassioned plea for information after her son Tristian Lovelock's dismembered body was found.

Parts of Mr Lovelock's body were found strewn around a housing estate in Basingstoke.

Mrs Halliday, 46, who is divorced from her son's father, Peter, now lives in Manor Road, Great Bedwyn, with her new husband Robin.

Police told her a man walking his dog on Friday afternoon called police after finding a severed head near a children's playground. Other parts of the body were found around the town.

Police found Mr Lovelock's torso and arm at the St Nicholas Court home of Richard Markham, who is suspected of butchering Mr Lovelock, 25, with a Samurai sword. Mr Lovelock spent Thursday evening drinking with Markham, whom he had known for eight years.

Markham (right), 27, flew to America on Friday and was arrested by New York police yesterday. He is due to appear at a federal court in Manhattan.

Mr Lovelock was separated from his partner, who is looking after their two children, Charlie, seven, and Ella, five.

On Monday Mrs Halliday, who also has a daughter, made an emotional appeal for help in locating Markham.

She said: "In 1977, the Queen's silver jubilee year, I was given a son, Tristian. This weekend, the golden jubilee, 25 years later, Tristian has been violently and horrifically taken from me in the prime of his life.

"I have lost my son, Tristian, Tristian's sister has lost her brother, Tristian's daughter and son have lost their daddy. Tristian's family are deeply devastated. Tristian should never have been taken from us.

"Please, please help me and Tristian with any information you may have. I do not want anyone else to suffer like this."

Mr Lovelock was an unemployed carpenter who used to live in Great Bedwyn. Mrs Halliday said her son had many friends in the village. She said: "The people of Great Bedwyn are looking after me and I feel Tristian is looking after me."

Yesterday grieving friends of Mr Lovelock gathered at the Cross Keys Inn to pay tribute to him, saying he was a man who loved company.

He had worked with garden designer Nick Payne, of Great Bedwyn. Mr Payne said Mr Lovelock (right) started visiting Bedwyn after his mother and step- father moved to the village. He continued to live in Basingstoke but during regular visits to Great Bedwyn he stayed on a narrowboat on the Kennet and Avon Canal owned by the licensees of the Cross Keys, Bruce Mason and Sue McPhilbin.

Mr Payne said: "He was my best mate and he was to have been the best man at my wedding on August 31."

Another friend said: "He was a lovely man who everybody liked. He was a very chatty, lovely guy."

Sue McPhilbin said: "It's unbelievable to think that somebody could do that to him." Mr Mason added: "He was friendly with everybody and used to love playing with the children who came into the pub.

Friends said Mr Lovelock remained friendly with his former partner and frequently had their two children stay with him at Bedwyn. Mr Mason said: "He was here last weekend and had the two children staying with him."

Markham flew out of Heathrow early on Friday after telling a cab driver he had split from his girlfriend and was going to America for a break.

Mr Lovelock was last seen alive at 8pm last Thursday when he and Markham were drinking together at a friend's house in Basingstoke. A post mortem examination showed he died of injuries caused by blows to the head with a blunt instrument.