Probe over second railway death

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Police are trying to establish how a woman died on the same stretch of rail track where her daughter was found dead five weeks earlier.

The body of 40-year-old Joanne Coombs was found on Tuesday on the line at Manningtree in Essex.

Her only child, 17-year-old Natasha, was found dead near the same spot on 10 August.

Prayers have been said for Mrs Coombs' husband, Gary, at a church near the family home in Dovercourt, Essex.

Mr Coombs, aged 48 and a manager with insurance firm Norwich Union, also paid a separate visit to a church.

At a news conference on 2 August Mrs Coombs and her husband appealed for help in finding their daughter.

She broke down as the couple talked about Natasha's disappearance.

"The house is so empty without her. It's unbearable," said Mrs Coombs.

Natasha's body was found in undergrowth near a station

Douglas Carswell, Conservative MP for Harwich and Clacton, said: "People are quite taken aback.

"My thoughts are with the family and Joanne's husband.

"In the past few weeks, he has suffered an unimaginable loss."

A number of tributes have been left at the scene where Natasha and her mother died.

Among the bunches of flowers, candles and posters was a birthday card to Natasha from her parents.

It read: "The only words we can say darling is that we wish you were here! Love you and miss you forever and ever. Mummy and Daddy xxx."

Other birthday wishes were also left to Natasha, who would have turned 18 early this month.

A post-mortem examination showed Natasha died when she was hit by a train.

She was last seen alive on 27 July travelling home following a meal with friends in Ipswich.