SEVEN people remain in custody in connection with the investigation into the disappearance of teenager Becky Watts following the discovery of body parts yesterday.

A 28-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman are being held on suspicion of murdering the 16-year-old, while four other men and a woman, all aged in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Becky's family have spoken of their devastation after body parts were found at a house in the Barton Hill area of Bristol, following new information received by police on Monday night.

The teenager, described by her relatives as "wonderful", vanished from her home in Crown Hill, St George in the city on February 19.

Wiltshire officers were among those drafted in to help search for her.

Her father and stepmother Darren and Anjie Galsworthy said: "To receive such news as we did today about our dear daughter and stepdaughter Becky is too much to bear."

The teenager's mother Tania Watts, brother Daniel and grandmother Pat said: "We are devastated to be told of this latest development. We are at an utter loss to understand why anyone would want to hurt our beautiful Becky in such a brutal way."

They added that none of those in custody are "connected to the Watts family".

John Galsworthy, on behalf of the Galsworthy family, said: "Becky was a wonderful daughter, sister, granddaughter and niece and we cannot put into words how devastated we are."

The search since Becky was officially reported missing on February 20 has involved a social media campaign which has reached more than four million people worldwide.

Police said formal identification procedures of the body parts have not yet been completed.

Floral tributes have been left close to the site of yesterday's discovery, and also at the gates of Becky's home.