A sex attacker who roamed a beauty spot for female victims has been jailed for life for the "savage and brutal" murder of an 18-year-old student.

Ellen Higginbottom, from Worsley, was targeted by Mark Buckley, 52, as she took a break from A-level study revision at Winstanley College in Orrell, Wigan, on the afternoon of June 16.

She went for a walk in nearby Orrell Water Park and intended to later return to meet up with friends who were sitting exams.

Buckley had earlier approached other lone females in Orrell Water Park and engaged them in conversation before walking away, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The knife-wielding defendant overpowered the slightly built student, who aspired to be a vet, and cut her throat before stealing her laptop, mobile phone and other personal possessions.

Sentencing Buckley to serve a minimum of 31 years in custody, Judge David Stockdale QC said the facts of the case were "frankly chilling".

He said: "You Mark Buckley had entered the park intending, as I find, upon attacking and sexually assaulting a female.

"You were carrying a bag later seen to contain items for sexual activity, together with a length of rope and cord.

"You were carrying a knife.

Miss Higginbottom, who did not know her attacker, was not able to physically offer much resistance, said the judge.

The Honorary Recorder of Manchester told the defendant: "Despite that, her wounds indicated that she tried albeit in vain to defend herself.

"As it was you subjected her to a savage and brutal attack. You inflicted many wounds in cutting her throat and killing her.

"It was as cowardly and callous as it was brutal.

"She would have had no idea it was coming. She would have been caught entirely off her guard.

"You were armed with a knife. She simply did not stand a chance.

"What must have been going through her mind is beyond imagining."

Buckley later returned to the park and moved her body which he then intended to bury under the cover of darkness, the court heard.

But he was thwarted as a police helicopter with heat-seeking equipment hovered overhead and he made off.

Buckley was later arrested and admitted killing Miss Higginbottom but could offer no explanation for his actions.

Ellen’s dad Mike Higginbottom issued a statement: “There can never be anything even remotely approaching justice for what was done to Ellen, but what can be done has been done and both Kay and I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been involved in bringing about today’s achievement.

“We were tremendously lucky to have shared eighteen years with her and everyone else who knew her will identify with that feeling. She made the world a better place with pretty much everything she said and everything she did.

“We all would have liked more though, and we would especially have liked for her to have had more. For her to have seen the results of all her hard work, for her to have seen her friends fly the nest as they went all to uni, for her to have explored the world that she was just growing into.

“To have all that taken away from her in such a pointless and idiotic fashion fills us with an anger and resentment that does not represent who we want to be. But we wrestle it under control and learn to be better at being people. Because that’s what adults do.

“So if there’s anyone else out there thinking of doing anything even half this stupid, just take one piece of advice. Grow up.”

Detective Superintendent Howard Millington, of GMP’s Serious Crime division, said: “My thoughts will always be with Ellen’s family and friends, this was an absolutely devastating murder by a stranger of an innocent young girl with her whole life ahead of her.

“Buckley callously killed Ellen in broad daylight. He attacked her in the most brutal way as she was walking around Orrell Water Park before going to meet her friends who were taking their exams.

“I am glad Buckley will now be spending many years behind bars to contemplate the young life that he has stolen away, but I wish that we hadn’t even had to investigate this crime.

“I wish it hadn’t happened and Ellen was here celebrating her A-Level results with her friends and planning her future.

“I would like to pay tribute to Ellen’s family and boyfriend for the dignified way they have conducted themselves in what has been the most awful of times; we can never bring Ellen back but I hope they can gain some comfort in the fact that justice has been done.”