A MISSING bag could hold the vital clue to explaining the death of an auxiliary nurse whose body was found on frozen playing fields only yards from her home.

Detectives trying to trace the last movements of Shelley Whitfield now believe that the 21-year-old travelled by bus to the village of Meadowfield, on the outskirts of Durham City, hours before her death.

A woman answering Ms Whitfield's description was seen getting off the X49 bus near the village's sports centre at about 6.30pm on Tuesday, carrying the clutch bag she had been seen with earlier that day.

A little over 12 hours later, her body was discovered by an early-morning walker on the edge of woods on the playing fields between Meadowfield and Brandon. But the bag, which was cream or white and the size of a large purse, was missing.

Yesterday, as forensic officers carried out a fingertip search in the area where Ms Whitfield was last seen alive, the detective leading the investigation appealed for help from the public in tracing the bag.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Reddick said: "If the lady on the X49 bus was Shelley, then finding her clutch bag would be a positive step forward in terms of tracing her movements.

"We now have a reasonably good picture of what happened until around 6.30pm - but we then have a blank canvas after that time.

"There is a possibility someone may have found the bag and taken it with them, perhaps with the honourable intention of handing it in.

"If anyone has this clutch bag in their possession, I would ask them to let us know as soon as possible."

Police yesterday interviewed a bus driver who called them to say he remembered picking up a woman answering Ms Whitfield's description from the North Road bus station, in Durham City, at 6pm.

She had asked to go to Brandon, but missed her stop, which was only yards from the front door of her one-bedroom flat in St Agatha's Close.

Instead, she was dropped off in Meadowfield High Street as the bus looped around the top of the village and began its return journey towards the city centre.

However, her movements after that point remain unclear.

At 6.50am the following day, Ms Whitfield's fully-clothed body was found on the edge of woods on the playing fields behind the sports centre, about 400 yards from her home. Her overcoat, containing her mobile phone, was found feet away.

She was found face down in the snow after a night in which temperatures had plunged below zero.

Although police say they cannot rule out the possibility that she froze to death, Det Chief Insp Reddick last night repeated that he was still keeping an open mind as to how she died.

An examination by a Home Office pathologist found no evidence of physical injury, and police said yesterday they were unaware of any medical condition that may have contributed to Ms Whitfield's death.

A post-mortem examination proved inconclusive and officers are now awaiting the results of further toxicology tests, which will be known next week.

Officers will return to Meadowfield High Street today to carry out inquiries, hoping for news of a further sighting of Ms Whitfield after she got off the bus.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845 6060365.