Woman's body found in Great Yarmouth river

Police were last night investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an unidentified woman, who was found in the River Bure, near Bure Park, Yarmouth, at about 2pm yesterday.Stephen Pullinger

Police were last night investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an unidentified woman, who was found in the River Bure, near Bure Park, Yarmouth, at about 2pm yesterday.

A boy raised the alarm when he saw what he thought was a body floating down the river and Gorleston inshore lifeboat later recovered the body of a woman.

The woman, described as white with short auburn hair and wearing glasses, is thought to have been in her late 40s to 50s.

Her body was found about 250m north of Marina Keys yacht station, close to the spot where the body

of murdered asylum seeker Domingas Olivais was discovered in 2002.

Det Insp Ricki Botwright, leading the inquiry, said: 'The body was taken to the mortuary at Gorleston's James Paget Hospital and a post- mortem examination will be carried out at noon tomorrow.'

The death is still being treated as unexplained but no crime scene has been cordoned off.

Insp Botwright said there were currently no reports of missing females that matched the description.

Lifeboat operations manager Neal Duffield said: 'We were called out at about 2.10pm. Police were in attendance and asked for our assistance.

'The lady was recovered on to the boat and taken back to the lifeboat station where she was dealt with by the police and ambulance.'

He said the lifeboat's paramedic was of the opinion that the body had only been in the water about two hours.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Yarmouth CID on 0845 456 4567.