The man who murdered Measham schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood has died in prison.

Stephen Beadman, 34, was sentenced to life after killing Kayleigh, who was aged 15 and was serving time in Wakefield Prison.

A Prison Service spokesperson told Nub News in a statement issued today (Thursday):  "HMP Wakefield prisoner Stephen Beadman died in hospital on April 8.

"The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been informed." 

The prison service refused to comment on how Beadman died.

Kayleigh's father, Martin Whitby, posted on Facebook: "Best news ever... the b*****d that killed my daughter is dead.

"Hope the b*****d rots in hell."

Kayleigh was murdered in November 2015 after chatting online to a man she did not know before meeting him in person.

It followed online grooming by Luke Harlow who had contacted her on Facebook.

Harlow and Kayleigh exchanged 2,643 text messages following an initial contact.

Two weeks after the first contact, Kayleigh agreed to meet Harlow at his house in Ibstock, Leicestershire, on 13 November 2015.

Harlow then informed his neighbour, Beadman, that he had a young girl at his house.

Beadman raped Kayleigh before killing her.

Her body was found five days later near Ibstock.

Harlow was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Beadman received a life sentence with a minimum term of 35 years.

It resulted in a a film produced by Leicestershire Police, 'Kayleigh's Love Story', which was shown to schoolchildren in Leicestershire and Rutland.