Skydiver's parents speak of anguish

The parents of murdered skydiver Stephen Hilder said they were "living through every parent's worst nightmare" as they made a fresh appeal for help to catch his killer.

Paul and Mary Hilder said they believed someone in Britain's close knit skydiving community knew who had sabotaged the 20-year-old army officer cadet's parachute, which resulted in him plunging 13,000 feet to his death over Hibaldstow Airfield in north Lincolnshire a week ago.

The grieving couple were speaking at a news conference at the racecourse in their home city of Hereford.

Mrs Hilder clutched her husband's hand tightly and struggled to maintain her composure as they sat flanked by two detectives from Humberside police.

Reading from a prepared statement, Mrs Hilder, 51, who works at a local college, said: "We are living through every parent's worst nightmare.

"We are only here today in the hope that somebody can help police to progress things to a point where we can bring Steve home and grieve for him in private.

"Steve lit up our lives with his enthusiasm, energy, humour and physical presence.

"He was an ordinary, infuriating lad, and an extraordinary son. He loved people, but was a very private person.

"He loved life and lived it to the full, but on his terms. Above all else he loved skydiving.

"In the last few years we've had to let him go and trust that he wouldn't come to any harm. There will be things about his recent life which we don't know but whatever they are we can't begin to imagine why anyone would want to do this to him."

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