Forensic teams pictured at house in murder investigation

A house in Bolton was cordoned off by police today after a body was found there in the search for a missing woman.

Forensic investigators in white protective suits were pictured entering and leaving as searches of the property were continuing on Christmas Eve.

Police have confirmed the body discovered there matches the description of a Hungarian woman named only as 55 year-old Mariann, who was reported as missing earlier this month. The death, said GMP, is being treated as suspicious.

A murder investigation was continuing on Christmas Eve, with a man arrested on suspicion of murder remaining in police custody, Greater Manchester Police said.

Photographs from the scene show the terrace house on Pedder Street, off Chorley Old Road in the town, cordoned off. A police car and a police van were pictured outside, as investigators combed the property for clues and potential evidence.

The woman's body was found in the house on Monday afternoon, with news of the arrest later confirmed. The man being held is 61 years-old, but hasn't been named.

Mariann, who is said to have spoken little English, was last seen on Chorley Old Road in Bolton on December 14, at around 9.30am. Formal identification is set to take place later today, Tuesday.

Extensive searches have taken place since Mariann went missing, including several appeals to the local community in Bolton.

"Initial enquiries suggest there are suspicious circumstances around the death," said a GMP spokesperson. "A 61-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody at this time for questioning. Mariann’s family have been informed of the development and are now being supported by family liaison officers."

Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley