Police find murdered woman's clothes

Twenty West Mercia police officers are on the case

Detectives investigating the murder of a young woman whose naked and battered body was found in a country lane have recovered items of clothing they believe belonged to her.

West Mercia Police said officers recovered a white vest top and pair of shoes in undergrowth near where the body was discovered, in a lane off the A38 at Rashwood, near Droitwich, Worcestershire.

A man walking his dog found the naked body of the woman, who was aged between 16 and 25, at about 8.30am on Sunday.

Police said the woman had been battered about the head.

Forensic experts are to examine the clothes, which were thought to have belonged to the victim, and the lane is being searched again on Tuesday.

Detective Superintendent Mel Shore, who is leading the investigation, said there had been a good response from members of public, and the incident room had received 50 calls giving information and making suggestions about the woman's identity.

'Severe assault'

He said: "This was a severe assault on a young lady in a very secluded area. Our inquiries have been extended all over the country and we are looking to find out who she was."

The woman is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall and weighing eight-and-a-half stone. She had straight brown collar-length hair and blue-green eyes.

About 20 officers are working on the case and forensic experts have carried out tests at the scene, which is near the Robin Hood pub.

The location, close to junction 5 of the M5, could suggest the killer travelled from some distance away and arrived at the scene via the motorway network.