POLICE have confirmed that human remains found at Hampshire beauty spot were those of a woman who has been missing for more than six months.

Yesterday following a post mortem examination, police confirmed the remains discovered at Long Meadow off Willow Walk in Barton-on-Sea were that of Isobel Munro, from Christchurch.

Isobel was reported missing in April 2016. Her family have been informed.

the 42-year-old, who was profoundly deaf and had learning difficulties, was last seen by her mother on Monday, April 11 when she left her home in Latimers Close, Christchurch, in a taxi.

Police said she was dropped off at the car park next to The Globe pub on Lymington Road, Highcliffe.

She was reported missing the following Monday.

Isobel lived with and cared for her mum Lesley, who has health problems.

Dorset Police are continuing to work with Hampshire Constabulary to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the death which is currently being treated as unexplained.

Officers set up a cordon on a large area of Long Meadow off Willow Walk in Barton-on-Sea following the discovery Tuesday morning.

A dog walker at the park claimed that he had found a human femur bone next to a bin by the Long Meadow car park on Tuesday morning.

He added: “That was at about 10am and I called the police, who were initially looking at the car park. When I came back to the park at about 3.30pm, the place was swarming with police.”

He claimed that police had subsequently found a body on Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking yesterday, one man, who asked not to be named, said: “There have been police cars, vans and scenes of crime with police in Long Meadow for 24-hours a day since Tuesday.

“On Wednesday, there were around 12 police cars in Grove Road and they have spotlights on at night, as well as numbers being put down by the forensics officers.”

Joan Rumell, 92, who lives nearby, said: “At night there are still five police cars on the road.

“The police are going into the woods with cameras and there are people dressed in white forensic suits and masks.”

Since her disappearance Isobel’s brother Mark has travelled to Highcliffe on a number of occasions to help police with the search and has been “blown away” by how well his sister is thought of by people in the town.

“Isi has lived in the town most of her life, even attending Highcliffe Comprehensive, but unfortunately because she and my mother suffered from a number of problems they became quite reclusive.

Since her disappearance Mark has travelled to Highcliffe on a number of occasions to help police with the search and has been “blown away” by how well his sister is thought of by people in the town.

“Isi has lived in the town most of her life, even attending Highcliffe Comprehensive, but unfortunately because she and my mother suffered from a number of problems they became quite reclusive.

“So it was a lovely surprise to discover she is very well liked in the town and people were aghast to discover she had gone missing.”