Woman’s body found in river after man arrested on suspicion of murder

Police confirm body of woman in her 20s discovered in River Severn in Worcester

A police cordon near the Diglis footbridge in Worcester, where specialist teams are searching a stretch of the River Severn after a man was arrested on suspicion of murder (Matthew Cooper/PA)

A woman’s body has been found in the River Severn by specialist police drafted in to help with a murder inquiry.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder as part of the investigation in Worcester on Wednesday and remains in police custody.

West Mercia Police said the woman, in her 20s, was found during searches overnight.

Her family has been informed but formal identification has not yet taken place.

A cordon surrounding Diglis footbridge has now been removed, however Waterworks Road and Cheviot Close remain sealed off.

A police cordon near the Diglis footbridge in Worcester, where specialist teams are searching a stretch of the River Severn after a man was arrested on suspicion of murder (PA)

The police force has been working alongside the fire service and a specialist search team from South Wales Police which has now concluded its searches of the river.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Dean Jones, of West Mercia Police, said: “Unfortunately, we have located the body of a woman in her 20s in the River Severn during our searches last night.

“Her family has been informed, but formal identification has not yet taken place.

“A 24-year-old man was arrested yesterday and remains in police custody.

“This is an isolated incident and I can confirm that we are not looking for anybody else in connection with the incident.”