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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
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| Woman found murdered near river | Woman found murdered near river |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A woman has been found murdered on a riverside footpath in Reading. | |
| The victim, 19, was discovered next to the Kennet River, alongside the A33, near the Green Park industrial estate in the Berkshire town on Monday night. | The victim, 19, was discovered next to the Kennet River, alongside the A33, near the Green Park industrial estate in the Berkshire town on Monday night. |
| Police said the contents of her handbag were strewn across the path. The woman worked part time in a shop in Reading. | Police said the contents of her handbag were strewn across the path. The woman worked part time in a shop in Reading. |
| Detectives said they were keeping an open mind as to the motive but thought she could have been mugged. Post-mortem tests are being carried out later. | Detectives said they were keeping an open mind as to the motive but thought she could have been mugged. Post-mortem tests are being carried out later. |
| That part of the footpath is a bit scary and there's a lot of graffiti down there Kathryn Hilliard, resident | That part of the footpath is a bit scary and there's a lot of graffiti down there Kathryn Hilliard, resident |
| A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the victim was from Reading. | A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the victim was from Reading. |
| She was found by a passer-by, who phoned 999 at about 2115 GMT on Monday. | She was found by a passer-by, who phoned 999 at about 2115 GMT on Monday. |
| A cordon is still in place and the footpath along the A33 - one of the main routes into Reading - remains closed. | A cordon is still in place and the footpath along the A33 - one of the main routes into Reading - remains closed. |
| People walking their dogs near the murder scene, close to the Madejski Stadium, said they avoided the area at night because it was badly lit. | People walking their dogs near the murder scene, close to the Madejski Stadium, said they avoided the area at night because it was badly lit. |
| Kathryn Hilliard, 28, of nearby Kennet Island, said: "That part of the footpath is a bit scary and there's a lot of graffiti down there. | Kathryn Hilliard, 28, of nearby Kennet Island, said: "That part of the footpath is a bit scary and there's a lot of graffiti down there. |
| "I would never go down there in the dark on my own." | "I would never go down there in the dark on my own." |
| Police helicopter | Police helicopter |
| Another resident, Margaret Ward, said: "It's quite picturesque, but it's not somewhere I'd walk in the middle of the night because there's no lighting there. | Another resident, Margaret Ward, said: "It's quite picturesque, but it's not somewhere I'd walk in the middle of the night because there's no lighting there. |
| "It's quite incredible to believe because it's a nice little area around here. | "It's quite incredible to believe because it's a nice little area around here. |
| "But even with my dogs I wouldn't walk under the bridge. It's a blow to think this has happened somewhere where I walk every day." | "But even with my dogs I wouldn't walk under the bridge. It's a blow to think this has happened somewhere where I walk every day." |
| Detectives said the area was popular with dog walkers and cyclists and appealed for information. | Detectives said the area was popular with dog walkers and cyclists and appealed for information. |
| Det Supt Karen Trego, leading the investigation, said: "We have a team of detectives working on this case and are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident or who has any information about it." | Det Supt Karen Trego, leading the investigation, said: "We have a team of detectives working on this case and are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident or who has any information about it." |
| Forensic officers spent the morning examining part of the path, which passes beneath two bridges, while a force helicopter was circling overhead. | Forensic officers spent the morning examining part of the path, which passes beneath two bridges, while a force helicopter was circling overhead. |
| Footage from CCTV cameras in the vicinity will also be examined by police. | Footage from CCTV cameras in the vicinity will also be examined by police. |