Missing woman's inquest opens

Mandy Franks was last seen alive on the evening of 4 October

A body found in the River Severn in Shropshire has been identified as that of missing woman Mandy Franks.

The mother-of-one disappeared after a night out in Shrewsbury on 4 October.

Her body was pulled out of the river at Apley, near Bridgnorth, on Monday but a post-mortem examination has failed to establish the cause of her death.

An inquest opened on Friday and was adjourned until 5 March while the investigation continues. Her death is being treated as unexplained.

Miss Franks, 40, of Belle Vue Road, Shrewsbury, was last seen leaving the Montgomery's Tower pub on 4 October.

Tearful appeal

She had been out with her partner Jody Evans, 24, but they had an argument.

He made a tearful appeal at a press conference for the public to help find her after she went missing.

Det Sgt Chris Hughes, of West Mercia Police, said detectives were still keen to hear from anyone who could help them establish what happened to Miss Franks on that night.

Mr Hughes said: "The last confirmed sighting of her was at about 0005 BST on the Sunday, when she walked across the road towards the car park.

"We are still trying to establish exactly what happened after that and where she went before she ended up in the river."