Police release CCTV in bid to identify woman found dead in lake

Police have released CCTV images of an unidentified woman who they believe was found dead in a lake in Oxfordshire. (Thames Valley Police)
Police have released CCTV images of an unidentified woman who they believe was found dead in a lake in Oxfordshire. (Thames Valley Police) (Thames Valley Police)

Police have released CCTV images in an effort to identify a woman whose body was found in a lake in Oxfordshire.

Officers believe the woman in the images is the same person found dead at Cresswell Lake, near Yarnton, between the A34 and A40 roads, last week.

Her death is being treated as unexplained after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive, Thames Valley Police said.

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Police were called to reports of a body in the lake just before 8.30pm last Monday, 16 August.

The body of a woman was later recovered from the water.

The body of a woman was discovered in Cresswell Lake, Oxfordshire, earlier this month. (Google)
The body of a woman was discovered in Cresswell Lake, Oxfordshire, earlier this month. (Google) (Google)

She is yet to be identified but is believed to have been in her mid-20s.

Thames Valley Police has released CCTV images of the woman taken more than a week before her body was found.

Police said they had received reports of a woman in the area knocking on people’s doors and asking to use their shower, and believe it may have been the same person who was found dead.

“We are still treating the death of the woman as unexplained, but as yet, we have been unable to ascertain her identity,” said Detective Inspector Tracey Benham, based at Banbury police station.

“Despite extensive investigations, we have exhausted lines of enquiry as to identifying the woman, and so we are taking the decision to release these CCTV images, captured on 8 August, as we have ascertained that this is very sadly the woman who was located in the water.

“We have had no missing person reports in the Thames Valley of a woman matching the description.”

The woman is described by police as being “light skinned”, with shoulder length dark hair, slim to medium build and about 5ft 6in tall.

“She was wearing an olive green Barbour jacket, a burnt orange jumper and orange/red and cream striped long-sleeved t-shirt and fitted blue jeans,” Benham said.

“We are continuing to conduct enquiries to try and ascertain her identity and contact next of kin.

“This is a tragic incident and we are determined to find out who the deceased person is and are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to identify her and notify her next of kin.

“I would again ask anybody who was aware of a woman matching the description given in the area over the last few weeks, or knows the identity of the woman seen in this CCTV image, to please get in touch.

“We have had reports of a woman who was in the area knocking on doors and asking for a shower, and we believe that this may have been this person.

“Any information that you may have that could assist this investigation will be gratefully received and will hopefully allow us to locate the woman's family and offer the support that they will need following this tragic incident."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, or make an online report online quoting incident reference 2048 (16/8).

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