Abbey body police call Interpol

Police have shown items of clothing like those worn by the victim

Detectives attempting to identify a young woman found dead in the grounds of a Nottinghamshire stately home are looking abroad for help.

The victim, thought to be in her mid 20s, was found beaten to death a week ago on a overgrown footpath close to a lake in the grounds of Newstead Abbey.

On Thursday the investigating team called in Interpol amid fears she may be a foreign national.

Police said all names suggested so far had been eliminated.

The woman, who was fully clothed and had no personal property, is thought to have suffered a painful death.

It is thought she would have suffered a slow and painful death Nottinghamshire Police

Forensic experts have confirmed that the victim was in her early 20s and officers said she may recently have lost a significant amount of weight, dropping to 7st.

A Nottinghamshire police spokeswoman said: "Though the public response to our appeals has been very good, all the names so far put forward for the victim have been eliminated."

She added: "After undertaking local, regional and national inquiries we have called in Interpol, as we cannot rule out the possibility that this woman is from outside the country.

"She was subjected to a severe beating and it is thought she would have suffered a slow and painful death."

The woman is white, slim, about 5ft 4in tall, with brown eyes and light brown cropped hair.

Police said she was found wearing a short sleeved red US Athletic T-shirt, light blue jeans and blue and white Hi-Tech trainers.

It is thought her body was dumped near the 12th century monastic house after she died, by someone with knowledge of the local area.