Body found in hunt for agoraphobic

Police investigating the disappearance of an agoraphobic woman who had not left her home for more than 13 years recovered a body from a river today.

Mandy Bishop, 34, from York, was reported missing by a family friend on Saturday afternoon.

It is thought Miss Bishop, who lived with her 66-year-old mother Valerie Bishop, may have been missing from home since March 22.

Officers discovered traces of blood inside the family home and expressed fears for her safety.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police confirmed a body was recovered from the River Ouse this morning.

Police had been conducting searches in and around Miss Bishop's Skeldergate home, while an underwater search unit has been scouring sections of the River Ouse.

It emerged that Miss Bishop had threatened self-harm in the past and was the sole carer for her seriously-ill mother. She also looked after their four dogs.

The body was recovered from the river close to Skeldergate Bridge at 11.30am today, a police spokesman said.

Police have yet to formally identify it.