The grief of Carol Barnes

Their heads bowed in silent prayer, the family of Clare Barnes grieve over the young skydiver's tragic death.

Newsreader Carol Barnes and Foreign Office Minister Denis MacShane today laid flowers at the spot where their 24-year-old daughter fell 14,000 feet to her death.

Beside them, Clare's brother James wiped away tears before helping to attach floral tributes to a post in the middle of the field at Barwon Heads, south-east of Melbourne.

The family, who had arrived in Australia from London a day earlier, were joined by Miss Barnes's boyfriend Chris McDougall, who had watched her plummet to her death.

The Australian skydive champion paid his own tribute as he stood silently for 10 minutes with head bowed at the spot where Miss Barnes lost her life, then placed two bunches of flowers and a handful of brightlycoloured ribbons at the site.