Isle of Wight manhunt after Danish student is found murdered

People in the Isle of Wight have been warned to avoid visiting secluded areas alone after the naked body of a 15-year-old girl was discovered in woodland.

The Danish foreign exchange student, who had been staying on the island for the past two weeks, went missing on Tuesday after telling a friend that she was going for a walk in woodland. When she failed to turn up for a beach party in the evening the group's activity co-ordinator went looking for her. She was found lying face down in a wooded quarry pit at Brading Down, near the town of Newport, at 11.45pm. A post-mortem examination was being performed yesterday to discover the cause of death and to find out whether she had been sexually assaulted.

The unnamed victim had been shopping with two student friends in Ryde between 2pm and 3.15pm on Tuesday before she went off alone.

Detective Superintendent Alan Betts, of Hampshire Police, said the girl had wanted some time alone and indicated to her friends that she was heading in the direction of Brading Down. The alarm was raised at about 9pm. Det Supt Betts said there was no suggestion at this time that the girl had had an argument or confrontation with anyone and there was no indication that she had begun a relationship since arriving in Britain.

Det Supt Betts said a murder of this type was extremely rare on the island and warned people to take care. He said: "It is very unusual and we are treating it very seriously. We suggest people should keep with friends and not wander off alone."

About 30 detectives are involved in the hunt for the killer. Officers have been interviewing the girl's friends and the family with whom the teenager had been staying. Officers conducted a fingertip search of the crime scene.

The woodland area where the girl was found is 300 yards from the nearest road and is said to be popular with courting couples.