A YOUNG mum whose daughters were murdered by their father who then killed himself has told a worried pal: "Don't worry about me, I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Kerrie Hughes' partner David Cass, 33, killed 13 month old Isobelle and three year old Ellie before hanging himself from a girder in the garage where he worked.

In a chilling phone call made before he took his own life the MoT tester told Miss Hughes, "the children have gone to sleep forever."

The two tiny bodies were found in a caravan parked near the garage where he had been living since his relationship with Miss Hughes ended three weeks ago.

Speaking today, Miss Hughes' best friend, Emma Timberlake, said the young mother had been left 'devastated' by the tragedy.

The 20 year old student said she had been worried that Miss Hughes might harm herself after losing her two daughters.

But Miss Hughes assured her: "Don't worry about me, I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Miss Timberlake added: "I was trying to speak to Kerrie all day yesterday and she finally replied to my texts last night.

"When I spoke to her she was still absolutely devastated but assured me she wasn't going to do anything stupid.

"She is having real trouble coming to terms with what has happened. It's terrible.

"Kerry was an absolutely brilliant mother. What he has done to the kids is disgusting and selfish. They did nothing to deserve that."

Earlier today, police confirmed that the two toddlers died as a result of being smothered.

Officers have now also formally identified the three bodies as David Cass, aged 33 from Paynes Road, Shirley and his daughters Isobelle Cass aged one and Ellie Cass aged three, both from Elderberry Close, Fair Oak, Eastleigh.

Post mortems carried out at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester yesterday revealed that both Ellie and Isobelle had died as a result of asphyxiation induced by smothering.

David Cass died as a result of strangulation caused by hanging.

Police were called to the rear of Paynes Road Car Sales in Paynes Road just before 7pm on Sunday where the bodies were discovered.