A woman today described the horror of finding the body of her murdered sister.

Abigail Falkner and two friends broke into a bedsit to discover Chamian Falkner lying dead on the bed.

Detectives have launched a hunt for 6ft 7in Paul Flynn, who lived at the bedsit in Dorset Gardens, Brighton.

Ms Falkner, 33, was strangled after a Christmas party. She was last seen leaving the Queensbury Arms pub with three men to get a taxi.

Her family was concerned when former security guard Ms Falkner failed to get in touch over Christmas and came to Brighton to look for her.

Her younger sister Abigail said: "We had this instinct, we just knew she had been killed or was being held hostage."

Abigail, her boyfriend Laurence and a close friend from Hove, who asked not to be named, began searching for Ms Falkner, who had been reported missing a week ago.

They spent the day speaking to friends of Ms Falkner who had been at the party at the Brighton Centre and went to the Queensbury Arms to question drinkers about her disappearance.

By 11pm on Thursday they had arrived at the Dorset Gardens bedsit.

Abigail, from South Molton, north Devon, said her boyfriend climbed through a window to get into the flat.

She said: "We had just come up to Brighton. We had got all the information we needed. We just wanted to act quickly. We just wanted to know if she was okay.

"We were all shaking. Laurence went in. There was no electricity so we gave him a cigarette lighter and as soon as he saw her he said 'Call an ambulance'."

A post mortem on Friday revealed Ms Falkner had been strangled and a murder investigation was launched.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dennis, leading the inquiry, said Ms Falkner had been dead for a number of days.

He said police wanted to trace Paul Flynn, who lived at the flat.

Mr Dennis said: "I need to speak to that gentleman, obviously. She has been murdered and we need to talk to him about why she was found in his flat."

He said Ms Falkner had left the party at the Brighton Centre, where she worked as a security guard for ten years until leaving in the summer, on Friday, December 21 at about 8pm.

He said: "We are appealing for anybody at that party we have not already seen to come forward so we can put together Charmian's last few hours."

She was seen leaving the pub with three men, possibly by taxi, at about 10.30pm.

He said: "We believe a taxi was called to the area of the Queensbury Arms public house, or even to the premises itself, to pick up a female with three males.

"If there is a taxi driver who took a call like that we would be grateful if he or she would contact us."

Ms Falkner's family echoed the police appeal for witnesses to help catch her killer.

Abigail said: "We just hope they get who is responsible. I lost my brother a few years ago and I am the only one left."

Abigail said her sister had left Brighton earlier this year for a fresh start and had been staying with their mother Hilary in Braunton, north Devon.

She had returned to Brighton to spend Christmas and the New Year with a seriously-ill friend.

Police ask anyone with information to phone 0845 6070999 and ask for Operation Orator.