Beach body find identified

Police used the woman's jewellery to help identify her

A body found on a beach in Fife has been identified as that of a home carer from North Lanarkshire.

The remains of Catherine Urquhart, 40, from Cumbernauld, were discovered in Kirkcaldy by a passer-by walking a dog on Saturday afternoon.

A Fife Constabulary spokesman said they could not yet confirm whether there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Officers anxious to identify the body had earlier taken the unusual step of releasing pictures of the t-shirt and jewellery the woman was wearing when found at Pathhead Sands in the Fife town.

Catherine Urquhart: Home carer

Mrs Urquhart was last seen in Cumbernauld's town centre on Friday evening and police said they were trying to trace her movements later that night.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hutton said: "While we are pleased that our inquiries have been moved on significantly with her identification we remain very anxious to establish fully the circumstances which led to her death.

"It is thought possible that she may have been seen in the town centre or harbour area, or perhaps she stopped to ask someone directions or even took a taxi to the seafront area.

"At this moment I do not want to comment further on the cause of death other than to confirm that a post-mortem examination will be carried out."

He added that the dead woman's family had been informed of the discovery.