Two years after her savagely battered body was discovered in a secluded alleyway, detectives today remained hopeful of catching Rebecca Hall's killer.

Police believe that DNA samples taken from the gruesome scene provide their best chance of identifying the Bradford prostitute's murderer.

The 19-year-old mum was last seen alive on April 13, 2001, when she left her Little Horton home for work in the city's red light district.

Thirteen days later, her badly beaten and naked body was found in an alleyway off Thornton Street, just yards from where other prostitutes worked.

Detectives have since revealed how low levels of DNA have been recovered from Rebecca's body and her clothes which lay nearby.

They are now working with the Forensic Science Service in a bid to produce a genetic profile of the killer who they say is likely to be a 'punter' who lives locally.

And officers believe that future advances in DNA technology will increase their chances of finally bringing the killer to justice.

Detective Chief Superintendent Max McLean, who is leading the hunt, said: "We are hopeful that one day we will develop the DNA needed to catch Rebecca's killer."

He emphasised the callous nature of her death and called on the public to come forward even so long afterwards.

"She was a 19-year-old mother of a three-year-old baby boy," he said.

"She was stripped, beaten and killed and left in an alleyway."

Since Rebecca's death, her son Jordan has been brought up by her mother and sisters.

Det Chief Supt McLean said: "We will still treat any information most seriously.

"This case is very close to our hearts and we remain absolutely committed to catching and convicting Becky's killer and allowing her little boy to know the truth of what happened to his mother."

Rebecca's black knee-length boots, her Motorola Startac mobile phone and South Park cartoon watch have never been recovered. It is not clear whether her killer took these as a trophy or simply discarded them.

As previously revealed in the Telegraph & Argus, detectives are still set to question convicted killer John Taylor over Rebecca's murder after he received two life sentences in July last year.

Taylor, who had worked as a parcel delivery worker in Bradford, was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering 16-year-old Leeds girl Leanne Tiernan.

Detectives believe that because of the planned nature of that attack it was likely Taylor had struck before.