POLICE will continue to search a remote woodland area today after the badly-decomposed body of a young woman was found.

The grim discovery was made yesterday in woods near Lindley Reservoir, between Harrogate and Otley.

North Yorkshire Police last night confirmed that the death was being treated as suspicious, but detectives said it was too early to link the discovery to any missing persons inquiry, including that of mother-of-two Marsha Wray. The 38-year-old nurse, from Forest Lane, Harrogate, was last seen taking her young children to school in January 1997.

Her car was seen in Scotton Woods, near Knaresborough, soon after she went missing and was later discovered in Headingley, near Leeds. Detectives have since admitted that Mrs Wray is probably dead, but the case has remained unsolved for more than four years.

A post-mortem examination carried out yesterday revealed that the body found in the woods was that of a young woman, but further tests will be needed to establish the cause of death.

The body was clothed, but a police spokesman said that no description could be given because of its condition. It is still uncertain how long it had been in the woodland.

The spokesman said: "The main priority for the investigators at the moment is to establish the identity of the deceased. Inquiries in that regard are on-going and we are liaising with other police forces."

The scene was still being examined last night and police teams will return today to carry out further investigations.