The body of Joanne Coombs was discovered last night at Manningtree, where her missing daughter's body was found in undergrowth near the railway line.

Mrs Coombs, 40, had said her daughter's disappearance was "unbearable" when she appealed for information at a press conference.

A spokesman for the British Transport police said today the driver of a Liverpool Street to Norwich service reported a possible track fault last night.

When the line was checked by the driver of a following freight train, he found the body of a woman on the line.

"BTP can confirm that this is the same location where the body of 17-year-old Natasha Coombs was found on 10 August," she said.

"It is believed that the woman was struck and killed by the train reporting the track fault. This incident is not being treated as suspicious.

"The deceased has not yet been formally identified and an investigation is under way."

Officers visited the family's home in Harwich last night. Natasha was her parents' only child.

She disappeared on July 27 after boarding a late night train from Ipswich.

At a press conference on August 2, Mrs Coombs broke down in front of cameras. She had said: "The house is so empty without her."

Six days later, Mrs Coombs and her husband, Gary, 48, made a second appeal for help to find Natasha and said they lived in constant fear of "what tomorrow will bring".

Police said Natasha had been upset about separating from her boyfriend in the hours before she died, leading to speculation that she committed suicide. But her grandfather, Peter Clackett, 62, insisted her death was an accident.

Essex police said there was no suggestion of criminal activity. The postmortem examination found her death was "consistent with a train strike".

Prayers were being said for the Coombs family at their local church in Dovercourt today.

Opening his service this morning, the Rev Erwin Lammens said: "You have probably heard this morning the sad news about the mother of Natasha Coombs who passed away this morning or last night.

"We don't have any details as yet. I would like to dedicate this service to her and the Coombs family."