Body found in woods linked to assault

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THE BODY of a man found hanging from a tree in Warndon Woods is being linked with the assault of a woman in the same woodland just days earlier.

Police began their search for a man reporting missing on Saturday (March 3) afternoon amid serious concerns for his safety.

At about 10.20am yesterday (Sunday), officers involved in the search found the body of a man hanging from a tree.

The death is being treated as unexplained but is not thought to be suspicious and a post mortem examination will take place in due course.

It comes after a woman reported that she had been assaulted in the same woods while out walking her dog on Friday (March 2).

She managed to fend off her attacker and suffered minor injuries. Police believe the assault was sexually motivated.

Detective Inspector Jon Wallis from Worcester CID said: "One line of inquiry in relation to the assault which happened on Friday is linked to the body we found in the woods yesterday.

"As a result of this, we are currently examining evidence found at both scenes and continue to look into the circumstances surrounding both incidents.

"We received a number of calls on Friday afternoon passing information in connection with the assault and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their response. I would like to remind people that assaults like this are extremely rare in South Worcestershire and reassure the public that the area is generally a safe place to live and work."