POLICE searching for the remains of school teacher Stephanie Scott have found a body in a national park north of Griffith.

The remains of a female were found by police searching Cocoparra National Park,

approximately 75 kilometres from Leeton, about 5pm today.

A crime scene has been set up and forensic officers are scouring the scene.

It is the latest crushing development for the Scott family, which had gathered in her home town this week for her planned wedding tomorrow, and her distraught fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley.

The development comes after police divers recovered a laptop from a canal just a few kilometres from where her car was dumped.

Divers recovered the black laptop computer while searching the two metre-deep irrigation channel along Griffith Rd, Leeton, just after 10am.

It is not yet clear whether the item is linked to the investigation into Ms Scott’s alleged murder.

A neighbour across the road from the canal said he saw a man dump an item in the water on Monday afternoon.

“The bloke pulled up and threw the thing in the water. As I walked out the door he was coming down the embankment,” Brendan Lyon said.

SHOCKED TOWN OF LEETON MOURNS STEPHANIE

THE SMILE OF A BRIDE-TO-BE DEEPLY IN LOVE

ACCUSED WAS A QUIET STRANGER

POLICE DENY THEY WERE FLAT-FOOTED IN SEARCH FOR STEPHANIE

media_camera Police divers search canals along Griffith Rd for the body of Stephanie Scott. Picture: Jeremy Piper

media_camera The divers recovered a laptop from the canal. Picture: Jeremy Piper

media_camera Police divers prepare to enter a canal to search for the body of Stephanie Scott. Picture: Ashlee Mullany

“They said he had something in his hands and he threw it over.

“The other guy said it was about a foot square, he said it might have been an iPad.

“It was about 3, probably close to 4pm. He had a baseball cap and glasses on.

“He was in a Hilux, a white Hilux. We rang the police on Wednesday when we heard what happened.”

Paul Halls, who was also working in the shed opposite the canal on Sunday, saw the white ute parked out the front on Sunday afternoon about 3.45pm.

“On Easter Sunday we were out here working on the ute and walked outside and there was a white ute parked on the left hand side of Griffith Rd facing West and he walked up the channel,” Mr Halls said.

“He had an iPad or something in his hand, I thought he was going to take a photograph.”

Mr Halls said the object had a pink or red cover, similar to the description of a laptop pulled from the water today.

“Then the ute just did a U-turn and took off back to town. He took off pretty quickly.”

media_camera Police are wanting to know if anyone saw this ute around Leeton after Stephanie disappeared on Sunday. Picture: NSW Police Media

media_camera Detective Superintendant Michael Rowan is leading the investigation. Picture: Chris McKeen

media_camera Members of Leeton's Volunteer Rescue Association conduct a line search along the Griffith road, approximately six kilometres outside Leeton. Photo: Chris McKeen

media_camera The Rescue Association conduct a line search along the Griffith road. Photo: Chris McKeen

Stephanie Scott: A friend, a fiance, a daughter, a teacher ... media_camera Messages to murdered Leeton teacher Stephanie Scott continue to grow at the tribute site on the fenceline of Leeton High School. Photo: Chris McKeen 1 of 17 media_camera Messages to murdered Leeton teacher Stephanie Scott continue to grow at the tribute site on the fenceline of Leeton High School. Photo: Chris McKeen 2 of 17 media_camera Messages to murdered Leeton teacher Stephanie Scott continue to grow at the tribute site on the fenceline of Leeton High School. Photo: Chris McKeen 3 of 17 media_camera Messages to murdered Leeton teacher Stephanie Scott continue to grow at the tribute site on the fenceline of Leeton High School. Photo: Chris McKeen 4 of 17 nav_small_close Want to see more?( 13 more photos in collection )Continue to full gallery nav_small_left nav_small_right

media_camera Heartbreaking: Messages to Stephanie continue to grow. Photo: Chris McKeen

Detectives will allege they found keys given to the much-loved teacher at the home of the school cleaner ­accused of murdering her.

They also claim an inconsistent story about his movements on the day of her disappearance led police to focus on Vincent Stanford, 24, who police will allege had ­photographs of burnt remains.

The shocking claims emerged as the 26-year-old’s heartbroken family gathered at Leeton High School, where Ms Scott was last seen working on lesson plans to be used while she was on her honeymoon.

Police divers are preparing to search canals in the town this morning as they continue the grim task of looking for Ms Scott’s remains.

A team of police divers from Sydney arrived in Leeton last night and started searching a system of irrigation channels along Griffith Rd this morning.

media_camera RIP: The community searches for answers. Photo: Chris McKeen

media_camera Candles are lit as part of a vigil at the tribute on the fence of Leeton High School. Photo: Chris McKeen

media_camera Stephanie Scott / Picture: Facebook media_camera Robert and Merrilyn Scott, the parents of murder victim Stephanie Scott. Photo: Chris McKeen

media_camera Aaron Leeson-Woolley and his mother grieve outside Stephanie’ School / Picture: Chris McKeen

FOR LATEST UPDATES, FOLLOW REPORTER ASHLEE MULLANY IN LEETON

Her fiance and childhood sweetheart Aaron Leeson-Woolley knelt while her parents and sister Robyn wept in front of a floral shrine left by devastated students. They lit candles for the devoted ­English and drama teacher.

“Always and forever in our hearts,” Robyn Scott had ­posted earlier on Facebook with a picture of her smiling sister involved in a water fight.

“ ... That’s ours to keep forever and always.”

Ms Scott and Mr Leeson-Woolley were due to marry on Saturday but he cut a forlorn figure yesterday as he read tributes to his fiance.

MORE NEWS

‘VOICE OF SUMMER’ RICHIE BENAUD DIES, AGED 84

EXCLUSIVE: HEIGHTENED FEAR OF TERROR AT GALLIPOLI

News_Image_File: tennis tennis

media_camera Vincent Stanford is led into Leeton Police Station yesterday / Picture: Channel 9

media_camera A police investigator outside Stanford’s home / Picture: Chris McKeen

Meanwhile, police continued their search for her body, focusing on an area of bushland where her car was found and combing a nearby waterway.

Stanford, a cleaner at Leeton High School, was yesterday charged with Ms Scott’s murder. The Daily Telegraph understands police grew suspicious of Stanford after he gave allegedly misleading information to investigators about being at the school on Easter Sunday.

media_camera Aaron Leeson-Wooley and Stephanie Scott / Picture: Facebook media_camera Stephanie Scott / Picture: Facebook

Ms Scott had gone to the school at 11am and picked up a set of keys to get into a classroom, where she was planning to finish off lesson plans for a substitute teacher filling in for her while she went away on her honeymoon.

Detectives arrived at ­Stanford’s family home, five minutes from the school, on Wednesday afternoon and spoke to his mother before searching the property.

They allegedly found a set of keys at Stanford’s house that matched the description of the keys given to Ms Scott.

media_camera The home of Vincent Sanford / Picture: Ashlee Mullany

media_camera Stephanie Scott and Aaron Leeson-Wooley / Picture: Facebook

He arrived home in the early evening and police allegedly found blood in the back of his vehicle. Chillingly, they will claim they also discovered pictures of a badly burnt body on his camera.

Stanford was arrested and taken to Leeton Police ­Station, where he was charged with Ms Scott’s murder ­yesterday morning.

Court documents allege Ms Scott was murdered in Leeton between 11am and 7.20pm on Easter Sunday.

The cleaning firm that ­employed Stanford said he passed compulsory police and employment checks before he began working for them last October. It is understood the police checks only look at a person’s criminal record in Australia and not Holland, where Stanford lived until 13 months ago. The checks cleared him to work with children at Leeton High School.

Joss Group senior manager Fleur Dooley said the ­company also conducted its own employment checks.

“The company’s thoughts are with Stephanie’s family and friends and the Leeton community,” Ms Dooley said.

media_camera Aaron Leeson-Woolley grieves / Picture: Chris McKeen

“We are assisting the police in any way we can.”

A spokesman for the Office of the Children’s Guardian said: “A NSW Working With Children Check is a prerequisite for anyone in child-related work in NSW. It involves a ­national criminal history check and review of findings of workplace misconduct.

“The result of a Working With Children Check is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. Cleared applicants are subject to continuous checking for relevant offences by NSW Police, and relevant new records may lead to a clearance being revoked.”

Stanford’s case was mentioned briefly in Griffith Local Court yesterday but he was not brought into the court.

Magistrate Kate Thompson was told there would be no bail application and Stanford was formally remanded in custody. He was to be taken to a jail last night and he will ­appear via videolink at Griffith Local Court on June 4.