FIREMEN from Evesham used their rescue launch to recover the body of an elderly woman from the River Avon at Eckington bridge on Wednesday evening.

The woman, who had not yet been named when the admag went to press, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 5pm.

The Worcestershire coroner Victor Round has been informed and an inquest will be opened next week.

Although the woman had yet to be formally identified, it is believe she was a local woman reported missing on Tuesday.

A post mortem will be held but police are not treating the death as suspicious.