POLICE have confirmed that the man arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of a woman's body in Colburn has been released on bail.

The 44-year-old man was arrested after the body of a woman was found near the Walkerville Industrial Estate near Catterick at around 4.45pm on Wednesday afternoon.

He was taken into police custody for questioning and has now been released on conditional bail.

The discovery of the body came after North Yorkshire Police issued a missing person appeal for Colburn woman Natalie Harker, 30, who had last been seen cycling along Catterick Road that morning.

The identity of the deceased woman has not been released but she has been named locally as being Ms Harker.