A missing woman whose dead body was discovered in woods five days after she went missing from her home was a horticulture teacher.

Lynda Casey, 55, was discovered in Banstead Woods last Thursday morning just a few miles from her Coulsdon home.

She had been reported missing to police by family members on Monday, August 10, after vanishing on Saturday morning.

Her black Vauxhall Corsa was spotted in a car park on Holly Lane near Park Road, close to the Ramblers Rest pub in Banstead on Wednesday.

It sparked a specialist search operation by Metropolitan and Surrey Police officers who discovered her body in dense undergrowth in Great Solom’s Wood, an area of Banstead Woods near Chipstead about 11am the next day.

A postmortem examination revealed the mum-of-two had suffered severe head wounds but pathologists could not determine a cause of death.

Mrs Casey taught horticulture at Sutton College of Learning for Adults in Wallington. She opened up her own garden to neighbours at her four bedroom home in Coulsdon to raise money for the National Society for the Protection of Children a few years ago.

A spokeswoman for Scola said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with family and friends of Lynda Casey at this difficult time.”

She had two daughters, Kathleen and Emma, the latter attending Woodcote High School in Coulsdon.

She was nominated for a Croydon Champion award in 2005 for her work as part of the reception team at Parkside Medical Centre in Sanderstead.

Practice manager Jean McPhail, who worked with Mrs Casey at the centre, said: “She was a very hard worker and will be sadly missed by the whole team.”

Her family were too upset to comment.

Peter Ling, a 50-year-old professional gardener, of Taylor Road, Wallington, has been arrested and charged with her murder.

He was stopped on the A39 on August 12 on his way to Somerset and taken to Woking police station.

He appeared at South East Surrey Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on September 1. No plea has been entered.

Detectives believe people in the area last weekend could help them in establishing the circumstances leading to her death.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Chris Raymer said: “People who were at the Ramblers Rest pub or walking in the area – perhaps with their dog – may well have seen Lynda with another person. They may also have heard a struggle or other suspicious sounds in the woodland at the top of the nearby hill.

“I would ask anyone who was there over the weekend to take a close look at her picture and think if they remember seeing her. She was wearing a turquoise vest top, a dark blue cardigan, light blue three-quarter-length jeans and white sandals.”

Detectives are also appealing for anyone who finds a plain white plastic carrier bag containing a white and green T-shirt and beige zip-off trouser legs to contact them on 0845 125 2222.

Anyone with information that could help the investigation should call Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222 or the Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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