Dead teenager's mother dies on same railway line

The mother of a teenage girl who died on a railway line five weeks ago has been found dead on the same stretch of track, police sources said today.

Joanne Coombs, 40, was found dead at Manningtree, Essex, last night.

Her daughter Natasha was found dead near the same spot in August, days after disappearing.

Police would only say officially today that there had been a death. They would not confirm the identity of the dead person.

But sources said the body found was that of Mrs Coombs.

Police were at the Coombs family home in Harwich, Essex, last night.

Natasha disappeared following a night out with friends in Ipswich, Suffolk, on July 27.

Her remains were found near Manningtree railway station on August 10.

Police said they thought the teenager died after being hit by a train and a coroner has launched an investigation.

Mrs Coombs appeared at a press conference on August 2 with her husband Gary, 48, to appeal for help in finding Natasha.

She broke down in front of cameras as the couple discussed Natasha's disappearance.

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

Mrs Coombs said she was a housewife and her husband was a mergers and acquisitions manager with insurance company Norwich Union in Norwich.

She said the family had been due to go on holiday to Canada on August 4.

Natasha had been excited by the prospect of the trip and was also looking forward to turning 18 later this year.

In the days following Natasha's disappearance. her grandparents, Peter and Wendy Clackett, also made an appeal for help to find her and offered a reward to anyone who had information.

Natasha was Mr and Mrs Coombs' only child.

On August 8, Mr and Mrs Coombs made a second appeal for help in finding Natasha and said they lived in constant fear of "what tomorrow will bring".

Mrs Coombs told of her last conversation with Natasha - when the teenager had called on the night she vanished to say she would get a taxi home from the station.