PCSO Julia James: Searches as murder probe continues

Julia James was a serving PCSO with Kent Police

Police have continued combing woodland verges where community support officer Julia James was founded murdered, as the investigation continues.

Teams of officers are searching a cordoned-off area where her body was found on Tuesday.

Mourners have continued laying flowers in Aylesham village, including tributes from the 53-year-old's family.

Ms James was found with significant head injuries in woodland near Dover.

Kent Police are considering "all possible" motives.

Teams of officers resumed searches of woodland on Saturday

Floral tributes included a message attached to a bunch of pink and white tulips that said: "To our beautiful niece Julia."

It read: "No words can express our sadness. Our family has lost the most beautiful soul. In our hearts always. George and Jane."

Other bouquets with matching cards in the shape of gold love hearts were addressed to "our cousin".

One tribute described Ms James as "our darling Julia, forever in our hearts" while another said "heaven has gained an angel".

On one floral tribute, Ms James's family wrote "no words can express our sadness"

'Completely numb'

PCSO Kelly Adsia, who knew Ms James, said: "I know my colleagues will not stop - they will do that for anybody - but they will not stop until we find whoever did this."

She said police, including PCSOs, officers and anyone who knew Ms James, were "completely in shock" but looking after each other.

"We are just completely numb and can't compute it at all," she said.

"We are just trying to focus on the amazing times we had with her, the laughs and the hugs, rather than what happened because that dehumanises her."

Police have laid flowers in tribute to Ms James

At a press conference on Friday, Assistant Chief Constable Tom Richards declined to rule out Ms James had been killed by a stranger, someone she came across during her work, someone trying to steal her dog, or as part of a sexual assault.

He would also not comment on any potential weapon and declined to say whether detectives found signs of a struggle.

Ms James's body was discovered in Akholt Wood, Snowdown, just "a few hundred yards from her house" after she had taken her dog for a walk, he said.

One message said "your police family will get you justice"

Her family, who said she was "so much to so many people; a wife, mother, daughter, nanny, sister and a friend", have said they are confident police are doing everything they can.

A post-mortem carried out on Thursday concluded Ms James died from blunt force trauma.

Ms James, who was working from home on the day she died and not in uniform, joined Kent Police in 2008 and had been working with domestic abuse victims while based in Canterbury.

Ms James's family described her as "so much to so many people"