A post-mortem examination will be carried out on Wednesday on a body discovered by police searching for missing teenager Amber Peat.
The 13-year-old went missing from her family home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, on Saturday after a row with her parents over household chores.
A body was found less than a mile from Amber’s home on Tuesday, though no formal identification has taken place. Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious.
Amber Peat went missing from her family home on Saturday afternoon
On Wednesday neighbours questioned why it had taken police so long to find the remains – despite reports they were first stumbled upon on a patch of land in the middle of a housing estate by a dog walker.
Yolanda Cassidy, who lives next to the site, told the Mirror: “It is a very public area. I wondered if she had climbed over gates (into a nearby property) but they have dogs so I can’t imagine she would be in there.
“I went shopping on Monday and walked across there. People are back and forth, it’s a nearly main road, people go up and down, I can’t believe she’s been there since Saturday.”
Tributes have been left close to where Amber's body was found
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “The body was found a fair distance into the wooded area.
“The position the forensic tent was set up suggests it was a lot closer to the path but this is not the case.
“The body would not have been found without an extensive search.”
On Wednesday the grassy area on Westfield Lane was still cordoned off by police, though flowers had been laid around a nearby tree, along with items including a teddy bear.
A poster attached to a telegraph pole appeals for information about the missing teenager
One message from school classmates said: "I hope your parents find the strength to find peace."
It added: "Hope the angels make you smile."
Amber's parents had earlier issued an emotional plea for her to return.
Her mother and stepfather broke down in tears as they spoke at a police press conference, saying her disappearance was out of character.
Kelly and Danny Peat said she walked out after refusing to clean a cool box used to store food during a holiday to Cornwall after the family had returned on Friday.
Mr Peat said: "We had just all had a brilliant holiday. It's just not right. She had a fantastic time, never stopped laughing with all of us together."
Amber's best friend Rianna Richards told Sky News: "I saw Amber before she went on holiday and she seemed fine. She didn't seem worried or anything like that - she didn't seem to have anything bad on her mind. She was just normal. I can't believe what's happening."
If you've been affected by the issues in this article, please call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90.
