Tributes poured in today for two sisters found brutally murdered in a Birmingham city centre flat.
Yasmine and Sabrina Larbi-Cherif, Algerian women who studied and worked in the UK, had lived in the flat near Broad Street since June.
The sisters, aged 22 and 19, whose family are believed to live in the Wembley area of north London, were discovered in the blood-drenched flat they shared on the Jupiter Apartments complex on Ryland Street at around 5.40pm on Monday.
West Midlands Police have refused to formally identify the women, but an unnamed brother confirmed their identities to local media.
Yasmine, the older sister, was a keen dancer, leading classes in belly dancing in Birmingham, and today a fellow dance teacher paid tribute to the "extremely decent" woman she knew.
Maria Credali, of Lichfield, said: "Yasmine was very kind, vibrant and very enthusiastic. She was really into the idea of sharing her culture with other ladies. She wanted to celebrate her background."
French Algerian Yasmine was a student, she said, but took a sabbatical to do voluntary work with women's groups.
Yasmine taught dancing to adults, until she stopped teaching around a year ago, but was also "fantastic with kids". Ms Credali added: "I just remember her with a big smile on her face. She was very gentle."
The whole family was "very close", she added.
Yasmine used to study biochemistry and the family had been in the UK for around nine years, according to an article she wrote on the internet, in which she described her love of dance and the importance of her cultural heritage.
Others who knew the sisters paid tribute to "two amazing individuals with bright futures ahead of them".
Writing in a special group set up on Facebook, Faraz Sayed wrote: "No-one should have gone through the fate they did. It's something you wouldn't wish to your worst enemy.
"Sabrina was a good friend, she was incredibly talented, she could sing well and play the guitar, and she was good at any sport imaginable."
Lul Hassan wrote: "It's deeply saddening to hear of this loss - two very beautiful people, one particularly close to my heart, and no words can describe what you meant to us."
Daniela Duarte asked: "Why? I just can't believe it's happening, I don't want to believe it's happening. Gotta wipe away the tears and keep smiling like Sab did."
Another of Sabrina's friends, Rebecca Ramsamooj, told how the teenager would "brighten a room".
She added: "Personally for me she was a role model, I looked up to her because she was a bright girl and always gave me the advice I needed to hear.
"I will miss her soo much, her singing, playing the guitar is my fondest memory and most of all her presence."
Sabrina is thought to have been about to begin a course in French studies at the University of Birmingham. A spokesman for the university refused to comment on reports of Sabrina's death until police had officially named the victims.
Sabrina's MySpace site said she originated from Boumerdes, Algeria, and had grown up there until she moved to England aged 10.
The site features images of the pretty teenager playing the guitar and relaxing in a park, while pictures on Yasmine's Facebook site show the two dark-haired sisters smiling for the camera and enjoying a joke with their mother.
Officers were this morning continuing to question a man arrested at a sea port in connection with the murders. The 28-year-old was detained on Tuesday morning by police in Kent as he attempted to board a ferry.
Police suspect the two women were killed over the weekend and are awaiting the results of post-mortems carried out yesterday. The bodies were removed from the scene on Tuesday night.
Yasmine's MySpace site features a YouTube video of her performing a belly dance. On the site, she wrote that belly dancing was her route to "absolute and complete self-expression".
The dancer added: "It is figurative and symbolic of the female energy and inner-strengths, hence the love I have for this ancient art form offering unique soulful artistic expression, on an individualistic-scale.
"It is emotive, and evocative, as opposed to the misconceptions, I am ardently trying to refute, about this art being provocative, and erotic!!!
"For anyone in Birmingham wishing to enhance their skills and understanding of this ancient dance, do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to attend, or require further details about the classes I hold."
Listing her interests as history, theology, science and languages, she added that she was keen to meet people of different cultures and from all walks of life.
Sabrina's MySpace page contains an entry written during her A-level studies in which she says she is "into my music big time" and enjoys reading novels.
The 5ft 4in teenager, who describes herself as sporty, adds: "I'm even working on making songs this summer during my free time.
"I'm those sorts of individuals (sic) who like to joke about a lot around their friends but then when it comes to work it's all serious."
She also stated that she would like to meet "individuals who can teach me about life" and to share her passion with people who were into music.
On her MySpace page, Sabrina listed her heroes as her mother, "who has been through a lot in her life," and Yasmine, "my older and only sister who has helped me see the world from a different perspective".
She wrote: "Love you sis."
Yasmine was nicknamed Smiles and "lit up" the room, her friend Stephanie Pasiewicz wrote on a tribute page.
She added: "To think that we were wanting to meet up on Sunday and Monday. All those unanswered phone calls."
Yasmine described herself on MySpace as "in a relationship", while Sabrina wrote that she was single.
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