TRIBUTES have been paid to a young mum found murdered at her home in Hyde.

Stephanie Flanagan was found dead at her home on Windermere Road at around 6pm on Monday.

Her children — a two-year-old girl and baby boy — were in the house at the time of the murder.

A post-mortem discovered that the 19-year-old, who is thought to have been discovered by her brother, died from a serious head injury.

Her family paid the following tribute: "Stephanie was a lively, bubbly and very loving teenager.

"She had two young children who were her entire life and she would do anything for them.

"Stephanie lived life to the full and yet she was a very private person who relished in the support of her family.

"We have no words to express our grief at this time and cannot even begin to understand what has happened.

"This is such a tragic waste of life for someone so young.

"Her entire family are completely devastated by the events and wish to be left to grieve together in piece."

Friend and neighbour Adam Ellis said he still couldn’t believe what had happened.

Adam, 37, said: "I was totally shocked, I couldn’t comprehend what people were saying. Steph spent a lot of time in the garden with the kids and that’s how we first got talking, over the fence at the back.  She was a really nice girl, just like any girl her age although probably more grown-up because she had two kids. 

"She was a brilliant mum, really patient and caring, the little girl never left her side.  Her kids were just getting old enough to do stuff and she was really looking forward to getting a job.  She’d never even been abroad and couldn’t wait to go on her first foreign holiday."

Samantha Purcell, who lives next door, added: "We never really spoke much, just to say hi, but she was always friendly. It’s just horrible, absolutely horrible, to think that it happened next door but we never heard a thing."

Gareth David Jones (born 22/05/1983), of Windermere Road, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court today (Thursday).