Looking at Ellie-May O’Connor, you’d think she was just like any other 11-year-old girl.
17.07.2023 - 17:37 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
There was shock and disbelief after a woman's body was discovered on a popular footpath next to a retail park in Rochdale this morning.
Emergency services were called to an area of footpath between Ashfield Road and Sandbrook Park shopping centre at around 4.30am today (17 July).
Police initially responded to reports of a concern for the welfare of a person.
An area of footpath next to Ashfield Valley Primary School was taped off by Greater Manchester Police for a number of hours, with multiple police vehicles near the scene and two forensic tents spotted inside the cordon.
In an update this morning, police confirmed the body of a woman, believed to be in her 40s, had been discovered. Forensic teams wearing white overalls were seen placing yellow markers and crime scene investigators combed the area for evidence.
Officers remained at the cordon on Monday afternoon, as residents reacted to the scene.
"It's frightening," one neighbour said. "I've never witnessed any incidents in this area and this feels very serious. My thoughts are with the family."
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It is understood GMP are still reviewing CCTV and the force has been unable to confirm if the death is being treated as suspicious.
One resident said she awoke to an alarm 'at around 4am' but soothed her child back to sleep.
She said: "The police asked if neighbours had heard anything. An alarm went off and I put my baby back to sleep afterward.
"I'm really shocked and worried. I've got a 10-year-old daughter who plays around there and I send her down that path on her own to the arcade. It's a popular footpath to the retail park but I'm really scared at the idea of her walking down there now."
Resid
Looking at Ellie-May O’Connor, you’d think she was just like any other 11-year-old girl.
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