Jogger finds woman stabbed to death on riverside footpath

A jogger found the teenager's body on an unlit riverside footpath in Reading, close to the Madejski Stadium, on Monday evening.

Thought to be 19 years old, she had suffered multiple stab wounds

shortly after leaving a nearby retail park, a police source said.

Her handbag was found on the path, next to the River Kennet, soon after her body was discovered at 8.30pm.

The girl, who has yet to be identified, is thought to be worker at the nearby Laura Ashley store who was taking a shortcut on her way home from work.

Police officers are examining CCTV footage. They have made no arrests and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

A post-mortem examination was taking place at a local hospital yesterday afternoon. Her family has been informed and she was expected to be formally identified later.

Superintendent Jim Weems, area commander for Reading with Thames Valley Police, said officers believed the girl may have been walking from work to her home in Reading at the time of the incident.

The area is popular with dog walkers, who described the stretch of footpath, under the A33 dual carriageway, as dangerous to walk down at night.

And he urged any potential witnesses to come forward with information.

He said: "I'm confident that someone out there knows how and why this happened."

Detective Inspector Dave Hubbard, from the force's Major Crime Unit, said of area where the murder took place: "It is not well lit and in the evening is not that well used. It was a member of the public who found the lady while out jogging."

The area where the young woman was murdered is popular with dog walkers, cyclists and fishermen.

Many people walking there yesterday voiced shock at the murder and said they avoided the footpath at night because it is so badly lit, despite the presence of CCTV cameras at the retail park and the nearby Green Park industrial estate.

Kathryn Hilliard, 28, of nearby Kennet Island, said: "That part of the footpath is a bit scary and there's a lot of graffiti down there.

"I would never go down there in the dark on my own."

Debbie Garth, 39, said: "I've always been wary of walking under there, and will be even more wary now."

Margaret Ward said: "It's quite picturesque, but it's not somewhere I'd walk in the middle of the night because there's no lighting there.

"It's quite incredible to believe because it's a nice little area around here.

"But even with my dogs I wouldn't walk under the bridge. It's a blow to think this has happened somewhere where I walk every day."

Staff at a nearby McDonald's restaurant, which is open 24 hours a day, were shocked to hear of the murder. Pam Cripps described the crime as "terrifying".

Police are still searching for the murder weapon.

Yesterday forensics officers continued to examine the path, which passes underneath two bridges.

The murder scene remained sealed off, with police guarding the scene.

The victim is thought to have worked at Reading's Laura Ashley home furnishings store on the nearby Brunel Retail Park.

A spokeswoman for the company said she could not confirm if the woman was an employee until she was formally identified.

But she added: "It is shocking for all of us."