Body found in Wentwood Reservoir is woman, police say

Sandie Bowen's family said they had been contacted by the police

Human remains found in a reservoir near Newport have been identified as a woman, police have said.

Gwent Police is investigating after a member of the public reported the discovery in Wentwood Reservoir.

There is a "possibility" they could be of 53-year-old Sandie Bowen, whose husband murdered her in 1997 but never revealed where he hid her body, her daughter said.

Forensic teams are working with officers to identify the body.

Mrs Bowen's daughter Anita Giles said police contacted her and told her they were carrying out examinations to establish if the remains were of her mother.

Mrs Bowen, originally from Kent, went missing from her home in Llandogo in Monmouthshire in August 1997.

Forestry worker Mike Bowen was jailed for life in 1998 after his wife's blood and false teeth were found at their home in Llandogo, Monmouthshire.

Throughout his murder trial, he denied any involvement in her disappearance.

While Bowen finally admitted the killing in 2003, he refused to tell police where the body was, with police believing it had been buried in Wentwood forest.

Following the discovery, Ms Giles said police had been in touch with her.

She said: "They've contacted me because there is a possibility it may be my mother, but they won't know until the autopsy has been done - which could take up to two months."