Tragic discovery of the body of a woman in her mid-40s and clues that police hope will help in the search for her family

A mysterious woman in her mid-40s has been found dead in Chorley – and now investigators are searching for her family and friends.

Police have released images of her clothing, as well as details of her appearance and belongings, in the hope someone can help identify her. Officers were dispatched by paramedics on Friday to a report that a woman had been found dead in Dawson Lane, Whittle-le-Woods, Chorley.

A police spokesman said: “Despite the best efforts of our officers, the identity of the woman is still unknown. We are asking for your help to ensure her family and friends are located and informed of the sad news. The woman is white, approximately 40 to 50 years old, has short, dark, curly hair and is of very slim build. She is approximately 5ft 4in tall and has no visible scars or tattoos.

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“She was wearing a black Peter Storm rain jacket, navy waterproof cargo pants, a pink 'Asics' sports t-shirt, orange and black Crane shoes, black Ron Hill gloves and a rose gold Lipsy watch. She also had a silver tent/rain cover and we believe the woman was sleeping outdoors and dressed for the weather.

“She did have a phone with her, but the officers were unable to obtain any data from it that could have helped identify her. Her fingerprints are also not in our database.”

The woman was found on Friday, August 23, at 11:44 a.m. At this time, the death is not being treated as suspicious and there is no evidence of third-party involvement.

Police added: “We are asking anyone who may be missing a loved one who matches the description of this woman to contact us. If anyone has any information that could assist us with our investigation, please contact us on 101 and quote LC-20240823-0651.”

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