EXPERTS say they still cannot be certain how a North-East prostitute thought to have been murdered met her death, an inquest heard yesterday.

The naked body of prostitute and drug addict Vicky Glass was found on the North York Moors three years ago.

Police immediately launched a murder-style investigation but, so far, no one has been arrested.

The 21-year-old was last seen alive in the early hours of September 24, 2000, in her home town of Middlesbrough. Her body was found six weeks later by a man walking his two dogs along a stream at Danby, near Whitby.

At the inquest in Pickering yesterday, forensic pathologist Dr Kenneth Shorrock, who carried out a post mortem examination on Miss Glass, said he was unable to give a pathological cause of death. Dr Shorrock described the difficulties he had in examining the body, which was badly decomposed.

Many parts of Miss Glass's body were missing, including all of her major organs and many bones.

Dr Shorrock did conclude that there was no pathological evidence that she had been raped. Experts also ruled out that she may have drowned.

Miss Glass had moved away from her family home in Stockton to live in Middlesbrough. Her drug addiction had led her into prostitution.

The inquest heard a number of lorry drivers were regular clients. Police said she was known to have travelled with them in the past for up to a week at a time. Her mother, Deborah Goodall, described her as a happy-go-lucky person who got in with the wrong crowd.

In a statement she said she knew her daughter had been taking heroin and crack cocaine.

Superintendent Brian Dunn, of Cleveland Police, investigating her death, said the inquiries were ongoing.

Coroner Michael Oakley said: "We don't know how she came to be where she was found, we don't know the cause of death or whether there was a third party directly or indirectly involved in her death."

He recorded an open verdict.

Updated: 10:15 Saturday, August 09, 2003