Murdered mother's body found near road

WILL BENNETT

A woman who was sexually assaulted and strangled before her body was left by a moorland road in Lancashire was yesterday identified as Angela Heys, 33, from Bolton.

Lancashire police are liaising with other forces to see whether the death of Ms Heys has similarities to other murders, such as that of Celine Figard, whose body was found near Worcester earlier this month. However, detectives do not believe that Ms Heys was the victim of a serial killer.

A cyclist found the body of Ms Heys, dressed only in a bra and pants, near the A666 at Egerton, near Bolton, on Sunday. Police believe her body had been there for several days.

Miss Heys, the mother of a 15-year-old girl, lived in a bedsit in Bolton. She had a drink problem, was taking tablets to counteract depression and last year attempted to commit suicide by slashing her wrists after a row with her boyfriend.