PEOPLE have been warned to be on their guard following the apparently

motiveless murder of an Irvine mother.

As a team of 50 detectives from throughout Strathclyde continued the

hunt for the killer of Ms Shona Stevens, 31, of Alder Green, the man

leading the hunt warned: ''It is vital that we detect and arrest the

person responsible quickly. In the meantime I would ask people in

Irvine, and the Bourtreehill area in particular, to be extra vigilant

while they are out and about, especially in the dark winter evenings.''

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Lauder said that, so far, his officers

had been unable to establish any motive for the brutal attack.

He added: ''The attack happened over a period of less than 10 minutes

in broad daylight in an area which is widely used by people going to

local shops, children playing and for dog walking and other recreational

pursuits.

''I am convinced that people must have seen something and, while we

have had some help, I feel there are other persons with important

information. I would ask them, please, not to wait for my officers to

get to them as the inquiry widens, but to get in touch with police at

once. It is vital that this person is found.''

Ms Stevens was flown to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow from

the spot where she was found by a man walking his dog on Thursday

afternoon, but she died without regaining consciousness.

She was divorced and had lived with her mother and seven-year-old

daughter since returning from South Africa. Her former husband is

understood to be living in South Africa.

Mr Lauder suspects that one person carried out the attack with a blunt

instrument, but has no further evidence.

He continued: ''Ms Stevens led a a quiet and ordered life with her

mother and had simply gone to pick up a message at the local shop when

she met her killer. Someone must know something about this, and I would

appeal to them to help this important investigation into a very serious

and disturbing crime.''