REGIONAL NEWS: Search for missing Melanie Wilson - 'Shocking' discovery of body at unoccupied house

Neighbours have told of their shock after a woman's body is found in the search for missing Melanie Wilson.
Melanie WilsonMelanie Wilson
Melanie Wilson

The 22-year-old woman who is originally from Mansfield and moved to Sutton two years ago has been missing for a fortnight

A body was found in Stoney Street, in central Sutton at around 10am this morning (Thursday, November 3).

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A neighbour to the crime scene said the property was uninhabited, and a body as discovered in the back garden when prospective tenants came to view the bungalow, some hundred yards from central Outram Street.

The house is also a few metres away from Sutton lawn, where until a few days ago police conducted an extensive search of the lake. Mum Gemma Flint, 34, a neighbour in Stoney Street said: "It's shocking.

"The house is empty. I was talking to the woman who came to view the bungalow. She was hoping to move into it.

"She came round to look and she pushed the gate and went round the back and she saw the girl sat at the side o the dustbin. "She was all dressed up in black, they thought she'd been beat up.

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"It makes me feel sick. I was going to go up there the other day and put the bin out but i didn't If I had..." "I think it's shocking that they'e dredged the pond,but they've not thought of checking houses and things. "We seen all the ambulances and I went to see if the little old lady next door was okay. Next thing we seen was all the police and everything.

"Poor girl - it's the family I feel for."

No formal identification has been made yet and Where There's Hope volunteers say they are still searching until any news is formally released by police.

Some 250 people have been coordinated in searches for missing Melanie after the group, which started when Amber Peat went missing last year, made an appeal for help.

The Rose in Crown pub in Sutton has been a 'hive' of activity since it offered to serve as a hub for the group on Monday.

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Landlord Martin Howard said: "We want to say thanks to everybody who has been searching and is still searching.

"We've had 250 people searching over the last three days. People are coming and going and doing searches even still.

"There was a video by the Daily Dose lads which got 100,000 views and thanks to that it got the search really up and going."

Melanie was last seen by friends at her flat in Stoneyford Road on October 19, at 11.20pm. She sent her dad a text message about 20 minutes previously, saying 'I love you dad.'

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David Wilson made an emotional plea for her to come home after the yougn woman had been missing for close to a fortnight.

Mr Wilson said: "I’d imagine hell is similar to what I and family and friends are going through. We’re all heartbroken. Everywhere we look there’s a reminder of her.

"The last time I saw her was when she popped in to see me at home on Monday 17 October.

"We just had a general chat and hugged each other as she left. She seemed her usual self.

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"The last contact I had with her was a text she sent me at about 11pm on Wednesday 19 October which said ‘I love you dad.’ I sent her one back saying ‘I love you too darling.’

Nottinghamshire Police’s Dive Team has carried out searches at King’s Mill Reservoir and the Sutton Lawn Park pond, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, in connection with the search for Melanie and members of the local community have also been helping to share the police appeal for information.

Anyone with information relating to Melanie's disappearence should contact police on 101 quoting incident 858 of 21 October 2016.