Police identify woodland remains

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/sussex/7677956.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Human remains found in woodland in East Sussex have been identified as a teenager from the local area.

About 90% of a skeleton was uncovered in Redgeland Wood, Hastings, after children found a skull while they were out playing on 13 October.

On Saturday, police said they believed the woman was Victoria Couchman, born in 1989. She would have now been 19.

Detectives believe the body, which had not been buried, had been at the site for less than 18 months.

While informing the woman's family, officers arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

Surgical pins

Det Ch Insp Adam Hibbert, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is a significant breakthrough in the inquiry.

"It is vital for us to now establish the circumstances of how Victoria died and came to be in Redgeland Wood."

Chf Insp Heather Keating added: "This is a tragedy for the family and we will be working closely with them and the wider community to establish what happened to Victoria."

She said police officers and community support officers would be conducting high visibility patrols to reassure the community, and urged anyone with information to speak to the force.

Detectives have also revealed that they found surgical pins inserted in the body's upper left leg.