Murder probe at remote Bewdley cottage

A murder probe has been launched after an elderly woman was found dead at her remote Wyre Forest cottage.

The woman, in her 70s, was found by police at the picturesque cottage on the outskirts of Bewdley after her friend raised the alarm when she couldn't contact her.

Click on the image on the right to see more pictures from the scene.

She has been named locally as widow Betty Yates, who friends said was an active member of Wyre Forest University of the Third Age, an activities group for older people.

Police went into the property and discovered the body downstairs in the cottage, on an isolated track leading from Dowles Road to the River Severn, just over a mile outside the town centre.

More than 40 police officers have now been drafted in to hunt for Mrs Yates' killer.

Friends today described the tragic victim as "the nicest person" and revealed she had been a member of the "University" for around four years.

Fellow member Dennis Plant said she also helped to organise some of the events for the "university" and ran a book reading group.

"I've known Betty for a number of years and she was the nicest and most genuine person I've ever met," he said.

Another member of the group, who did not wish to be named, said: "She was a lovely lady, always ready to help people.

"She was very jolly and very busy."

Police have been standing guard at the entrance of the track leading to Mrs Yates' home, on the edge of Wyre Forest, about half a mile from the Shropshire border, since the grim discovery.

Search teams were examining a path on the western bank of the River Severn this afternoon. Dowles Road is unlit and the entrance to the track is several hundred yards from the nearest homes, on the Riverside Caravan Park and at Sabrina Drive. The Geopark Way long-distance trail, which runs for 109 miles from Bridgnorth to Gloucester, is signposted down the track from the main road and a railway line also used to run down to the river along there.

Detectives have launched house-to-house inquiries in a bid to piece together information about the tragedy, which was discovered on Wednesday morning.

Det Ch Insp Tony Love said: "An elderly woman has lost her life in the most tragic circumstances and it is vital that anyone who has information that could help our inquiries comes forward immediately.

"The cottage is in an isolated spot, which is understood to be popular with anglers, dog walkers, ramblers and off-road cyclists.

"We urgently need to speak to anyone who was in that area between lunchtime on Monday and around 9am on Wednesday and may have noticed anything suspicious, including any vehicles that might have been there in unusual circumstances.

"The slightest detail could be important to our investigation."

People living near the murder scene today spoke of their shock after hearing the news. Mrs Lynne Marshall, who lives in Dowles Road, Bewdley, about half a mile away, said: "The police came to our door on Wednesday at about 4pm and asked if we had seen or heard anything suspicious, which we hadn't. Ever since then we've had our doors locked and the chains pulled across.

"It's worrying, very frightening, that something like that has happened in this area."

Mrs Karen Phillips, manager of The Woodlands Holiday Home Park in Dowles Road, said: "It's very worrying that something like this has happened close to here.

Jim Foster, aged 54, of Richmond Road, Bewdley, who was walking his dog along the River Severn off Dowles Road last night said: "This will really surprise the whole community.

"I just can't believe it's happened."

A post mortem has taken place. Police were today tracing relatives to inform them of the tragedy.