Pontypridd murder victim Tracey Woodford found dismembered Published duration 25 April 2015

image copyright South Wales Police image caption Tracey Woodford's family are being supported by police

A woman whose body was found in a flat in Pontypridd had been dismembered, police have revealed.

Tracey Woodford, 47, was found three days after she was reported missing by her family.

She was seen leaving the Skinny Dog pub in the town on Tuesday with a 50-year-old man, understood to be Christopher May, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Her body was found by police in a flat in Pontypridd at 15:00 BST on Friday.

media caption Det Supt Paul Hurley said the circumstances of Ms Woodford's death were 'harrowing'

South Wales Police said the man and woman were seen together in the pub on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Det Supt Paul Hurley said they left shortly after 23:00 - about ten hours after Ms Woodford was last seen by her family in Rhydyfelin.

He said: "The tragic events surrounding the death have had a profound effect on her family and the wider community, especially given the harrowing circumstances of her death."

Areas of the town were cordoned off on Friday evening following the discovery of the body, including near Pontypridd Rugby Club, where officers conducted a search.

The cordons remained in place on Saturday.

image caption Ms Woodford and the murder suspect were in the Skinny Dog pub together on Tuesday evening

image caption Forensic officers were examining a property at Andrews Court on Saturday

image caption Police cordons remained at Pontypridd RFC on Saturday

image caption Investigations continued Saturday morning, with scenes of crime officers at Andrews Court

image caption A police van was also stationed by the rugby club

image caption Police were searching woodland in Pontypridd on Saturday

Police said they would like to hear from anybody who was in the Skinny Dog on Tuesday between 21:00 and 23:00 who might have seen or heard anything suspicious.

They also appealed for information from people living near Andrews Court, where Ms Woodford's body was found, or who were near the rugby ground on Sardis Road.

image caption A police officer discovered Ms Woodford's body at an address at Andrews Court, Rickards Street, on Friday