Woman found in pond

MYSTERY surounds the discovery of a woman s body found face down in Hailsham s Common Pond in the early hours of yesterday (Thursday).

The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was found in a shallow area of the pond in Station Road by a member of the public at about 12.10am.

A post mortem examination has revealed that she died by drowning.

Police said they believed the body had been in the water for a few hours when it was found. They immediately began an appeal for information, going door-to-door to ask people whether they had seen anything suspicious since 5pm on Wednesday.

The pond, which is owned by the town council, is only two metres (about six-and-a-half feet) at its deepest point, and one metre (just more than three feet) deep at the edges.

The only other recorded deaths at the Common Pond were of the drowning of two children, one in the 1930s and the other in the 1960s.

As the Sussex Express went to press yesterday (Thursday) police had released no identification of the woman or announced whether her death was being treated as suspicious. However, nothing had been ruled out, said a spokesman.

A post mortem examination was carried out by a Home Office pathologist at midday yesterday, but formal identification was not expected until late afternoon.