Body found in woods is missing girl

The identity of a girl found hanging in Hampshire on Sunday was confirmed by police last night as the missing teenager Rosemary Edwards.

The 15-year-old, who was found by walkers at Bartley in the New Forest, was last seen by her family at their home in Dibden Purlieu on 4 September. Rosemary had left the house without taking any possessions after an argument over how she lost a part-time job.

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be "consistent with ligature suspension", a police spokeswoman said.

Rosemary's family said in a statement that they were "completely shell-shocked" after learning that her body had been found.

On the Facebook website, Rosemary's father David Edwards, 52, wrote: "I am sorry to tell you that a body has been found that answers Rosemary's description. Rosemary touched so many people's lives and it seems impossible to believe that she was so low that she felt life wasn't worth living."

Mr Edwards found Rosemary was missing when he went to her room on 5 September to wake her for school.