Pensioner's body lay for a year

The woman's body was found at a flat in Upper Craigs in Stirling

An 81-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a flat in the centre of Stirling may have been dead for up to a year, police have said.

Patricia Ross was found in the flat in Upper Craigs after a relative called by for a visit and raised the alarm.

Central Scotland Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

The force said a report into the incident had been forwarded to the procurator fiscal. A spokesman said the woman's body was badly decomposed.

He added that detectives who carried out an investigation of the flat believe Ms Ross may have died in November last year.

Her body was removed in September by officers from the force's underwater unit, who are specially trained to deal with people who have been dead for a long time.

It is understood that she lived alone and had been in the property for about 16 years.

He said: "This is a very tragic case where it appears this woman very much kept herself to herself."