THE body of an elderly woman was discovered in the River Tees yesterday.

Lorna Beevers was found face down in the water at the Broken Scar beauty spot, near Darlington.

It is not known how the 70-year-old, who lived in Elton Road, Darlington, came to be in the water, but police say they are not treating her death as suspicious.

Police and firefighters were called to the scene at 11.50am yesterday by a member of the public.

The area was sealed off while scenes of crimes officers carried out an investigation.

Police do not believe the body was in the water for more than a couple of hours, and there were no marks which would have suggested a suspicious death.

A post-mortem examination is to be carried out to determine the cause of death, and an inquest is expected to be opened in the next few days.

The death comes just over a week after Christopher Glen died while swimming at Cleasby Deeps, near Broken Scar.

The 15-year-old got into trouble while playing with friends in this stretch of the River Tees, which is renowned for its strong undercurrents.