Police divers called in as hunt for village postmistress killer widens - VIDEO

A team of police divers scoured a beck in Melsonby, North Yorkshire, for evidence after Diana Garbutt, 40, was found dead in the living quarters of the post office on Tuesday morning.

Mrs Garbutt's husband, Robin, said he found his wife after he was confronted by an armed robber as he worked in the store downstairs.

Mr Garbutt, 44, told police the masked raider, who was carrying a gun, entered the shop just after 8.30am and said "we've got your wife" before demanding cash from the safe.

The robber then left with a substantial amount of cash in a holdall and Mr Garbutt went upstairs, where he found his wife, who had died from severe head injuries. Police said she had not been shot.

The Village Shop and Post Office remained cordoned off today as teams of North Yorkshire Police officers searched bins and streams.

Police divers could be seen moving slowly along a shallow beck running through the village as they looked for evidence in the water and underneath stone bridges.

Officers also looked through wheelie bins after police asked Richmondshire District Council to suspend rubbish collections until further notice.

At a news conference yesterday, Detective Superintendent Lewis Raw said Mr Garbutt opened his shop at 4.30am on Tuesday and was confronted by a raider just after he opened up the post office part of the business at 8.30am.

Mr Raw said: "The man threatened Mr Garbutt, saying 'We've got your wife'.

"The male then made off with a significant amount of money, which he had placed in a black holdall."

The detective added: "He was carrying a firearm at his side."

Mr Raw said the ambulance service called police to the post office at 8.38am, which would have been a busy time in the village.

He appealed for anyone who saw a man dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask or a suspicious or unknown vehicle to contact police.

The officer said: "This is a shocking crime, which has left Mr Garbutt distraught and the residents of Melsonby very shocked and saddened.

"Police are determined to bring Mrs Garbutt's killer to justice."

He added: "At this stage the only report in relation to the firearm is from Mr Garbutt when he reported the man carrying the firearm by his side."

People living and working around the post office said they did not notice anything unusual until an ambulance and then armed police arrived on Tuesday morning.

A school bus normally arrives in the village centre at about 8.30am.

Bill Nixon, who runs a garage opposite the post office, said there were around 40 children in the area of the shop at about 8.30am on Tuesday.

Residents said the Garbutts, who have no children, moved to the village from the York area about seven years ago and had been married for about the same time.

Mrs Garbutt is thought to have had a military background.

The store was targeted by armed robbers in March last year, when two men, one armed with what appeared to be a handgun, threatened staff and made off with stamps and a large amount of cash.

People in the village said the couple considered leaving the village after the raid and put the business up for sale but, it appears, they recently decided to stay.

Mr Raw said there were similarities with the earlier crime which were being investigated.

"There was an extensive investigation done at the time, an imitation firearm was recovered but, in respect of that offence, nobody was arrested," he said.

Linda Sharp, who worked part-time in the shop, said Mrs Garbutt was "a really lovely woman".

She said Mr Garbutt would be "absolutely devastated" by her death, adding: "I don't think he'll come back to the shop. I don't think he'll be able to."

Police are looking for a suspect who is 5ft 11in to 6ft tall, wearing a black, tight-fitting mask, a dark blue, long-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue-black coloured jeans.

They said they could not rule out there being more than one raider.