Human remains confirmed to be those of missing woman

Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave on Friday (1am Saturday AEDT) confirmed the body found during searches near Ashford, Kent, earlier this week was that of the 33-year-old.

“I know that the public feel hurt and angry about what has happened and those are sentiments I share personally,” Mr Ephgrave said during a press conference, addressing the wider topic of women’s safety.

Police confirmed Ms Everard’s family had been informed of the finding.

Hours earlier the family paid tribute to their “bright and beautiful”, “wonderful daughter and sister”.

“She was kind and thoughtful, caring and dependable,” they said.

“She always put others first and had the most amazing sense of humour.

“She was strong and principled and a shining example to us all. We are very proud of her and she brought so much joy to our lives.”

The suspect is a man in his 40s, who works with the Met’s parliamentary and diplomatic protection command. He was taken to hospital yesterday suffering head injuries.

Met Police said he was being monitored in a cell by CCTV and received immediate first aid.

After being treated at hospital, the man was discharged and returned to the police station, where he remains.

A woman in her 30s was also arrested in Kent earlier this week, on suspicion of assisting an offender, and was later released on bail until midApril.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IPOC) is investigating whether Met officers responded appropriately to reports of indecent exposure by the man in question, which is alleged to have occurred just days before Ms Everard went missing.

Ms Everard, who is originally from York, was last seen on March 3 in Clapham, south London, when she was on her way home from a friend’s house about 9.30pm (local time).

She was wearing a green rain jacket, navy blue trousers with a white diamond pattern and turquoise and orange trainers when she went missing.

A security camera placed in a doorway reportedly captured her walking alone on the south London streets towards her home but police said it was unclear if she ever reached her Brixton home.

Metropolitan Police launched an appeal for the missing woman, revealing officers had visited 750 homes in the area and taken more than 120 calls from the public.

This led them to the grim discovery in woodlands near Kent, south of London.