VILLAGERS were left reeling yesterday, following the death of a woman described by neighbours as a "community stalwart".

The identity of the woman has not been revealed by police, but she has been named locally as Jill Curry, who was in her early 50s.

She is believed to have a teenage son.

She was pronounced dead by paramedics at her home in Grinton, near Reeth, in the Yorkshire Dales, in the early hours of yesterday after police were called to what they described as a domestic disturbance.

A 56-year-old man has been arrested and was being held in police custody last night.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said residents in the quiet dales village were finding it difficult to come to terms with what had happened.

She said: "Jill was a very nice woman, and she did so much for the community.

"She was a bell ringer at the village church, St Andrew's, and she was also a stalwart of the Swaledale Museum.

"She was a popular figure in the community, and she will be badly missed. It is totally shocking."

Another villager said: "There are plenty of rumours going around, but nobody is sure yet what happened.

People cannot quite believe it.

"This is not the sort of place things like this happen, and people are finding it all very difficult to understand."

The house, which is on the road from Grinton to Leyburn, was cordoned off by police all day yesterday as forensic investigations continued.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "Officers attended a report of a domestic disturbance at a house in the village of Grinton, in the early hours of Friday morning.

"A woman in her early 50s was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, and a 56-year-old man remains in police custody.

"This is thought to be an isolated incident, with no other persons involved.

Our inquiries are ongoing."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845-60-60-24-7, or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.