A 48-year-old woman has been charged with murder following the discovery of a body buried in the back garden of a house.

Fiona Beal was charged with murder on Saturday (19/3) evening following the launch of a homicide investigation by Northamptonshire Police.

Officers were called to the address on Moore Street in Kingsley, Northants., on Wednesday (16/3) where they began a search of the entire property.

Forensic officers and specialist search teams, including a cadaver dog, were deployed to the address.

Following a search, detectives discovered the body buried in the rear garden of the property yesterday (Sat).

The remains, believed to be that of a 42-year-old male, are expected to be taken to Leicester where they will be forensically examined by a Home Office pathologist.

The investigation, which has involved dozens of officers and specialist staff, was launched following the arrest of Beal at a hotel in Cumbria on Wednesday morning.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Pendlebury, from the Major Crime team of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Regrettably, I can confirm that a body has been found in the rear garden of the address.

“We believe it to be that of a missing 42-year-old male, but formal identification has yet to take place.

“Police officers have been conducting house-to-house inquiries in the area over the past couple of days.

“This remains a complex and challenging investigation and we are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 26 of March 16, 2022.”