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Body pulled out of water

Miles Skinner
30/ 8/2006

POLICE frogmen are searching the depths of a Stockport reservoir for clues to a suspicious fatality, just days after a mother and three children were found bludgeoned to death in Cheadle Hulme.

A woman's body was pulled from the Edgeley reservoir at the weekend, sparking fears of another Stockport murder.

Police are treating the death as suspicious and have already arrested a 37-year-old man from Stockport on suspicion of murder.

The victim, who was believed to be aged 44-years-old, was pulled out of the water by officers responding to reports that an unconscious woman had been taken from the reservoir off Dale Street.

The woman was taken by ambulance to Stepping Hill Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later. The incident took place shortly before 2am on Friday.

Det Chief Insp Linda Reid, who is leading the investigation, said yesterday (Tues): "We have been up at the reservoir today with the under water search unit who have been testing the depth of the water to see where the victim may have come into trouble.

"We have been checking around where she was found and trying to find how she came to be in the water, using advice from experts and photographers who have now arrived to photograph the scene for any evidence."

She added: "It's a well lit path that is often used so if anybody knows anything or thinks they might have seen what happened to this woman I would urge them to get in touch."

A subsequent autopsy was inconclusive as to whether or not the woman drowned, opening the possibility of death before she arrived in the water.

Police say toxicology reports may take up to three weeks to complete.

Anyone with information, or who saw a woman getting into difficulties in the reservoir in the early hours of Friday morning, is asked to phone Stockport CID on 0161 856 9740.

Alternatively witnesses can ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.