A human leg found in a river has been confirmed to be the limb of a woman who went missing a year ago.

Police were called to a report of suspected human remains seen in a stretch of the River Irwell running through Pendleton, Salford, on 28 November.

DNA testing confirmed the leg belonged to Marie Scott, who was 57 when she was reported missing from her home in Hale on 18 December last year, Greater Manchester police said.

Scott, a mother of two, vanished after leaving the family home and her family had been clinging to the hope that she might still be alive. But in what Greater Manchester police called a “heartbreaking development”, the force confirmed that the limb, which was spotted in a river in Salford last month, belonged to Scott.

Police said there were not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and no one else is thought to be involved in her disappearance.

In June, Scott’s son, Stuart, revealed the family’s torment at the sudden disappearance. “We still believe that she is alive. There is just something that we feel,” he told the Manchester Evening News.

“All our lives are destroyed without her being with us. We miss her smile, the time she shared with us, her love and her kindness. She is in our thoughts every minute of every day and we just want to know she is safe and well.”

Scott, who ran her own ironing business and had been married to her husband, Jim, for 41 years, left her home on 18 December last year.

CCTV showed her taking the Metrolink, a light rail system, and travelling to Bury, where she was spotted shopping.

DI Simon Akker, of GMP’s Trafford Borough, said: “This is an absolutely heartbreaking development in the investigation to find Marie, and her family are understandably distraught by the news.

“Having been personally involved in the search to find Marie and met with her family on a number of occasions, I know the devastating impact this will have on them. Our efforts now will focus on doing everything we can to ensure we can provide the family with the support and answers they deserve.”



