Merseyside Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a woman was found inside the walled garden of Stanley Park in Liverpool.

Officers were called to the popular park at around 5.25pm on Friday, August 28, following a report made by a member of the public.

Early enquiries by detectives suggest that the woman's body could have been lying in the park for a number of weeks before she was discovered.

A postmortem examination has now taken place, though police have confirmed that the results are remaining undisclosed for the time being due to the ongoing investigation.

At this stage, detectives have not yet been able to identify the woman or inform her next of kin. Officers have already examined missing people reports across Merseyside and the wider area, but those initial searches have not yielded an answer.

To assist the public, police have released a detailed description of the woman. She is described as white, aged in her 70s, around 5ft 2in tall, and of small build with strawberry blonde hair. When she was found, she was wearing a distinctive cerise pink Nike T-shirt.

Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson addressed the local community directly regarding the investigation. She said: “We understand that this will be distressing and worrying for people to hear and I want the local community to be reassured that we are doing everything in our powers to find the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice.”

DS Wilson explained the efforts already underway: “We have carried out a number of lines of enquiry, including examining any missing people reports in the Merseyside and wider area, but at this stage we have not been able to identify the woman and would ask for the public’s help by coming forward with any information.”

Officers are appealing directly to regular visitors to the area. DS Wilson added: “Do you recognise the description of the woman or do you have any information about who she is? Please come forward and tell us what you know. I would also ask any walkers or dog walkers who have been in the park, and specifically the area of the walled garden, in recent days or weeks. Have you seen or heard anyone acting suspiciously or do you have any information which could assist our investigation? Please speak to us as a matter of urgency.”

What we do not know yet is how the woman died, nor have police confirmed the exact circumstances surrounding how she came to be in the walled garden, with officers keeping postmortem findings under wraps while the inquiry proceeds.

A police cordon remains in place inside Stanley Park while enquiries continue, and anyone with concerns or details that could assist the team is asked to speak directly to officers at the scene.

I'll be following this one — check back for updates.