Body is missing mother police say

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/7943812.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The body of a woman found in a river in Northamptonshire is believed to be a woman missing from her home since the early hours of 2 January.

Police said the body found in the River Nene at Tansor is mother-of-two Gillian Merrick, 45, missing from her Oundle home since 2 January.

A post-mortem examination failed to reveal a cause of death but established it was not suspicious, police said.

Further tests are to be carried out but results are not expected for some time.

"Toxicology tests are to be carried out to try and ascertain how the woman died," the police spokeswoman said.

The body has not yet been formally identified and this is not likely to happen until the middle of next week.

Widespread search

Investigators are liaising with the Merrick family and offering support.

Det Ch Insp Andy Cox, leading the investigation, said: "I believe the body to be Gillian Merrick and I can confirm that the circumstances are not suspicious.

"I now want to prove beyond doubt that it is Gillian as quickly as possible."

After her disappearance, police spent about 10 days searching the Merrick family home.

Searches were carried out in and around Oundle by police and volunteers and divers searched waterways in the area.

The search was also extended to East Sussex, where the family had lived previously.

A 49-year-old man was arrested in January in connection with the investigation but was later released without charge.