A WOMAN’S body was found in woodland close to a reservoir.

Police began searching for the 42-year-old, who has not been named, after she went missing on Tuesday.

A search was launched in Abbey Village, near Chorley, where her family are thought to live, at around 6.45pm, with officers and a 12-strong group from the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.

The woman’s car had been left at the Hare and Hounds Pub, in Bolton Road, and the hunt was focussed on Roddlesworth Woods.

Phil O’Brien, a team leader with the mountain rescue team, said as they made their way to the scene, they were told a body had been found.

He said: “We were responding to a search for a vulnerable person.

“But while we were travelling to the scene, the situation changed very, very quickly from a search to a recovery.”

A police officer had found a body near to the Lower Roddlesworth Reservoir.

Mr O’Brien said: “It was a really sad outcome.”

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: “She had been reported missing, but she was sadly later found hanged in the woodland near to the reservoir.”