A WOMAN whose body was found near Malmesbury over the weekend following an extensive search by the emergency services has been named as 70-year-old Christine Craven-Walker.

Police were alerted on Friday afternoon after the pensioner was reported to have gone missing from her home in Little Somerford.

Wiltshire Search and Rescue along with firefighters from Malmesbury were called to help, which included searching the area around the river.

A police helicopter was also seen circling the Somerfords area late on Friday afternoon.

Mrs Craven-Walker was found the following afternoon.

Wiltshire Police issued a statement saying: “We were called at 2.07pm on Friday 23rd January 2015 to reports of a missing person close to Malmesbury.

“Following extensive searches, the body of a 70-year-old woman from the Malmesbury area was found at 1.08pm on Saturday 24th January 2015.

“Her death is not being treated as suspicious and a full report will now be prepared for the coroner’s office.”