Southend: Items found in missing woman woodlands search

Patricia Finnie went missing in May 2017

Officers investigating the disappearance of a woman six years ago have recovered a number of items following a woodland search.

Patricia Finnie was 64 when she went missing from Southend-on-Sea on 11 May 2017.

Essex Police has not released details of what the items were, but said officers were trying to work out if they were linked to Ms Finnie.

A man in his 70s, arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released on bail.

Ms Finnie was last seen at around noon in the Bellevue area after visiting a friend at an address on Riviera Drive earlier on that day in 2017.

Police spent several days carrying out a detailed search of Hockley Woods

Following a review of Ms Finnie's disappearance by specialist officers it was concluded she was no longer alive and the force was now treating the case as a murder investigation.

A search of Hockley Woods, to the north of the city, began on 13 June, and has now been completed, the force said.

Essex Police is appealing for information about Ms Finnie's disappearance six years ago

Det Supt Rob Kirby, head of major crime, said the woods had reopened to the public.

"This was painstaking work and we recovered a number of items and work remains ongoing to ascertain if they are linked to Patricia's disappearance," he said.

"Our investigation into what happened to Patricia is continuing and I still need anyone who has information to contact us."

The arrested man was on bail until 10 September, the force said.

Specialist officers and staff took part in the search of the woods