Rail deaths husband pays tribute

Gary Coombs placed flowers where his wife and daughter were found

A grieving husband and father has paid tribute to his wife at a stretch of railway where she died, weeks after their daughter was found dead there.

Gary Coombs, 48, left flowers to his "darling wife" Joanne, 40, near Manningtree Railway station, Essex, where her body was found on Tuesday.

Their 17-year-old daughter Natasha was found dead near the line on 10 August.

His wife posted a poem in tribute to Natasha on a social networking website, just days before her own death.

Police are working to establish how Mrs Coombs, from Dovercourt, Essex, died.

'Greatest person'

Natasha's body was found two weeks after she had gone missing following a night out in Ipswich with friends - a post-mortem examination showed she died when she was hit by a train.

Poem for Natasha Coombs

In a note placed on the bouquet of flowers, Mr Coombs said: "My darling wife Joanne. Please be at peace with our dear Natasha and Emma. Life will never ever be the same. You have been the greatest person anyone could wish to be with. Until we meet again, always yours, Gary xxx."

Mr and Mrs Coombs are reported to have lost their other daughter, Emma, who was stillborn.

Mrs Coombs, left a poem on a website initially set up to help find Natasha, in which she said: "The house without you is empty and bare."

She ended the poem: "We know our hearts will never mend, we'll ache and weep until our lives end".

Prayers have been said for Mrs Coombs' husband Gary at a church near the family home in Dovercourt.