Police scour village beck in hunt for clues to murder of postmistress

The West Yorkshire Police underwater search unit scoured a beck in remote Melsonby, north of Richmond, where Mrs 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 yesterday as teams of North Yorkshire Police officers searched bins and streams.

The divers also carried equipment to suck out gulleys.

"They are looking for any evidence, discarded weapon or clothing involved in the recent robbery," a North Yorkshire Police spokesman said.

Police divers checked for anything in the water of the beck running through the village..

Mr Garbutt lived in York and worked for Yortec Ltd in Layerthorpe before moving to Melsonby,

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

Police are looking for a suspect who is about 6ft. He wore a black mask, a dark blue T-shirt and dark blue-black jeans.