Man arrested over car body find

Officers searching for Paula Poolton are involved in the case

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman whose body was found in a car near a railway station in Hampshire.

The discovery of the body in Park Gate, near to Swanwick station, on Tuesday afternoon is being linked to the case of missing 40-year-old Paula Poolton.

Police said the body was found in her Peugeot 206. Ms Poolton, of Titchfield, Fareham, was last seen on 17 October.

A 52-year-old man from Fareham has been arrested.

The body has not been formally identified while police await the results of post-mortem tests.

Police said the family of Ms Poolton had been told of the discovery.

The last confirmed sighting of Ms Poolton's Peugeot, prior to it being found in Duncan Road, Park Gate, was at Tesco in Bursledon between 2130 BST and 2140 BST on 17 October.

We appreciate people will assume the body is that of Paula, we cannot confirm that at this stage Det Chief Insp Gary O'Flaherty

Det Ch Insp Gary O'Flaherty, of Hampshire Constabulary, said: "This investigation is in its very early stages and while we appreciate that people will assume the body is that of Paula, we cannot confirm that at this stage.

"Specialist family liaison officers are working with Paula's family to keep them up-to-date... but we also have a team of officers trying to establish exactly when Paula's car was parked in Duncan Road.

"We need help from the public, and especially commuters who use Swanwick station, to try to establish exactly when Paula's car - registration number HK54 KHH - was parked at the station."

The area has been cordoned off while specialist forensic teams conduct searches in the area.