A young Scottish woman has been murdered in a "ghastly" attack while on a working holiday in New Zealand.

The 26-year-old, from Orkney, was found by chance yesterday in the resort of Taupo, in the North Island, where she was staying as police investigated a possible school break-in.

The woman, named locally as Karen Aim, was found with serious head injuries and died a short time later in hospital.

Last night dozens of tributes were being paid to Ms Aim on her Bebo website. Local community members in Orkney also spoke of their shock.

Ms Aim's parents Brian and Peggy, and younger brother Alan, were said to be devastated last night. They were being comforted at the family's home in the Holm area of Orkney, six miles east of the main town Kirkwall, and were too upset to comment.

New Zealand police said the 26-year-old had been in the country on a work permit since last October and was working at Wairakei, a nearby geothermal village. It was her second visit to the country after a trip in 2006 when she travelled on a three-month visitor's permit before returning home in January 2007.

Police found her lying on the ground after they were called to check a report of damage to a nearby school at just after 2am.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said police who attended the scene described the attack as "ghastly".

He said: "Our victim has been found lying prone severely injured with serious head injuries. She was taken to Taupo Hospital but died a short time later.

"The officers had originally gone to the area around 2.10am to investigate a report from a security company of damage to the school and it was while doing an area canvas the woman was found."

Police have established that Ms Aim had been out with friends in bars in central Taupo before the attack.

Police are trying to establish if she left the bar alone and are studying local CCTV footage.

Records of other incidents in the area are also being checked and residents living near the scene of the attack have been asked to search their houses and gardens in case a weapon or clothes have been dumped.

The Foreign Office said: "We can confirm a British national died in New Zealand on January 17. Police are treating the death as suspicious."

Among the tributes on Ms Aim's personal website was one from a friend, named Ems, which said: "So shocked to hear what happened. I only worked a couple of times with you but we will all miss you."

Another friend of the family, named as Lesley MacDonald, said: "So desperately sorry to hear such tragic news. My thoughts are with Brian, Peggy, Alan and family and friends."

Local Orkney councillor Jim Foubister, learned the tragic news last night shortly after returning from council business in Edinburgh.

He said: "I had never met Karen but her father Brian is a very good friend of mine. He is a long-established building contractor in Orkney. My feelings are very much with them at this time."

Mr Foubister added: "What makes us feel all the more saddened by this is that over many years quite a number of Orcadians leave to go and live in other parts of the world.

"Every year we see quite a number of descendants of expats return to visit Orkney. It is absolutely tragic to think that something similar could happen to them."

Another community member, who declined to be named, said: "Karen was a hard-working, very popular young lass. Her death is completely and utterly shocking for everyone."

He added: "We are lucky to live in an area like Orkney where incidences of crime, especially violence, are very very rare.

"To have someone from here become the victim of a murder, especially a place like New Zealand, which most people identify as a safe place to visit, is even more shocking."