Woman's burnt body found in field

A woman whose body was found in a field in an Oxfordshire village had been murdered and then set on fire.

The remains were discovered by a farm hand in Milton Common, west of Thame, on Friday afternoon.

Thames Valley Police said the body had been taken to the field in a suitcase and then set on fire.

A police spokesman said the woman was in her 50s or older but they do not know who she is and are appealing for help to try to find out her identity.

No-one has been arrested in connection with her death.

Part of the village was closed while investigations were carried out

The unidentified white woman had curly grey hair and curvature of the spine that made her look even smaller than her height of just 5ft, police said.

Acting Det Supt Rob Mason said that the proximity of the site to the M40 motorway meant it was possible the woman may have come from another part of the country.

He said: "We are appealing for the public to think if they know this woman and perhaps have not seen her for a couple of days.

"She could have gone missing or maybe friends or family have just not been able to get in touch with her recently."

He added that extensive tests needed to be completed before police would know the cause of the woman's death.