Body of teenager is found near her home

The search for the missing teenager Hannah Foster turned into a murder inquiry yesterday after she was discovered dead in undergrowth in Southampton.

Police, who had been searching for the 17-year-old since Friday, said she had been abducted and killed only minutes from her her home in the Portswood area of the city.

Hannah, an A-level student, failed to return home after spending an evening visiting pubs with friends. She was last seen saying goodbye to a female friend at 10.50pm and was sober, according to police.

She was found by a walker in the West End area of the city yesterday afternoon. Detective Inspector Tony Adams said: "The discovery of the body has had a devastating impact on the inquiry team. We are determined to exhaust all available lines of inquiry to establish exactly what has happened and to ensure that justice prevails."

He described her as a "model student and daughter". She was studying for five AS-levels at Barton Peverill sixth form college in Eastleigh and had secured a place to study medicine at Bristol University.

A police spokeswoman said an examination to determine the cause of death would be conducted today. She said: "Hannah would walk home alone frequently ­ it was something she was comfortable with." More than 60 officers are involved in the inquiry.