POST-MORTEM DUE ON RIVER BODY

Police believe the body they found on Thursday night is the body of Gillian Merrick, 45, who has not been seen since she vanished from her home in Oundle, Northamptonshire, on New Year's Day.

The woman's body was found in the River Nene at Tansor, eight miles north of Mrs Merrick's home town.

A post-mortem is due to take place but Northamptonshire Police said it could be some time before the body is formally identified as the mother-of-two.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "Whilst the body has only recently been recovered, and identification procedures have not even begun, investigators believe there is a strong possibility that this could be the body of Gillian Merrick."

The spokeswoman said Mrs Merrick's family had been informed of the discovery.

Following her disappearance, Mrs Merrick's husband Nick spoke about how much he and their teenage children, Tom and Charlotte, missed her.

In one message, the 49-year-old said: "She is the glue that holds us together and brings light to the day."

A 49-year-old man was arrested after Mrs Merrick's disappearance before being released without charge.