Passer-by finds murdered woman

Police are treating the woman's death as suspicious

Police have opened a murder inquiry after a 73-year-old woman was found dead on a footpath near Hove by a passer-by walking a dog.

Sussex Police said her body was found in the Highdown Close area of Southwick at about 1630 BST on Wednesday.

Officers said they were looking into the possibility that her throat may have been slashed.

A post-mortem examination was carried out on the woman on Thursday and police said she would be named on Friday.

Quiet residential area

Officers confirmed the woman had suffered injuries, but no weapon was found. It is unclear if she was robbed.

The path where she was found leads onto Highdown Close in a quiet residential area.

It is close to an area popular with local walkers.

Det Ch Insp Adam Hibbert, of Sussex Police, appealed to anyone who was in the area on Wednesday afternoon between 1400 BST and 1700 BST who had any information to contact police or Crimestoppers.