Abigail's family building special bungalow

The family of stabbing victim Abigail Witchalls are already planning the next step in her remarkable recovery - her return home.

While the 26-year-old mother remains in intensive care at a London hospital, she has made extraordinary progress.

She remains paralysed, but can now talk for periods of up to half-an-hour and is able to breathe without a ventilator. She has also regained sensation in her legs and arms.

This has prompted doctors and her family to begin planning for her future. Her husband Benoit is overseeing building work on a specially adapted bungalow. It is being built in the three- acre grounds of Benoit's parents in the village of Little Bookham, Surrey, where Abigail was stabbed in the neck on 20 April in front of her 22-month-old son Joseph.

A family friend said: "Benoit and the family are very optimistic about Abigail's return home. They believe it is a miracle she has come so far from a point when she was pronounced dead."

He said: "Building work had started on a home for Benoit, Abigail and Joseph when the attack happened. They had just put the footings in for the new site. Now the emphasis is on somewhere that will enable Abigail to live as full a life as possible. Benoit has been looking at computers which recognise eye movements. Such a system could make a vast difference to her quality of life and her ability to communicate and interact."

The details emerged as four bloodhounds started a second day hunting for clues. It is thought scents given to the dogs include those of Richard Cazaly, who apparently killed himself in Scotland just days after the attack, and another 25-year-old man.