Human remains discovered in London parkland identified as missing woman Joanne Sheen | UK news

A body found in an area of London shrubland that was partly cleared of foliage by a wildfire in August is that of a woman who disappeared from Hampshire nearly seven years ago, police have said.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the remains were identified as Joanne Sheen. She was reported missing in February 2020, having last been seen the previous December.

The Metropolitan police were called on 12 August after bones were found at the parkland known as The Pits, in south-west London. The area had been the site of a grass fire shortly before.

Scotland Yard opened a murder investigation, but Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary took over once the remains had been identified after extensive forensic examination and DNA testing.

Sheen, who was 44 and a mother of three, had not been seen since she travelled from Fareham, in Hampshire, heading for her home city of Southampton. A 56-year-old man from Southampton has now been arrested by Hampshire police and is in custody.

DCI Toby Elcock, from the Hampshire police’s major crime team, said: “This is a significant development in what has been a long and complex investigation and provides us with several new lines of enquiry, which we are exploring with our dedicated team.

“While this tragic discovery is not the outcome Joanne’s family, or any of us, had hoped for, we hope the identification of her remains can at least begin to provide some answers after many years of uncertainty.

“Throughout this investigation, Joanne’s family have shown tremendous strength and dignity in the face of unimaginable circumstances, and our thoughts remain with them at this incredibly difficult time.

“As our investigation progresses, we remain committed to establishing exactly what happened to Joanne and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.

“There may still be people who have information about Joanne’s disappearance, her movements before she went missing, or how she came to be in Feltham. The passage of time does not lessen the importance of that information. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, we would urge anyone who may know something to come forward.

“We understand that coming forward may feel difficult, particularly if you are worried about the consequences, but we are asking you to think about the family who are left without their loved-one and who are waiting for answers. Please do the right thing. If you know something, now is the time to come forward.

“We are also pleased that Crimestoppers has agreed to reinstate its £20,000 reward offer in support of our investigation. If anyone has information but does not feel comfortable speaking directly to police, I would encourage them to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.”