Police 'regret' over woman found dead after search

The initial police search for a woman found dead four days later at the same address was "not conducted to the standards expected", a chief constable has said.

Katherine Wright, known as Sarah, was found dead at her home in Oxford by police on 20 December 2023 - four days after an initial search failed to find her.

At an inquest into the 60-year-old's death, Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Graham said the initial visit had been "inadequate" and asked that the force improve its procedures.

Responding to the findings, Thames Valley Police (TVP) chief constable Jason Hogg said the force was "committed to learning" from the incident.

The force was also committed to "taking all necessary steps to improve the standard of searching in similar circumstances", he added.

During December's inquest, Graham found Wright's death was "likely caused by sudden unexpected death in the context of alcohol misuse".

In a prevention of future deaths report sent to Thames Valley Police, he said the force could look to implement guidance on how and when officers should raise such issues or request additional resources for searches.

He added that there was currently an absence of "clear operational guidance on what constitutes an adequate search" for police officers.

Responding to those concerns, Hogg said it was "with much regret" that the initial search for Wright was "not conducted to the standards I would expect from my officers".

He explained that new guidance dedicated to searching sites for missing persons had now been shared with all officers.

This new guidance also established options for officers when they encounter hazards during searches, he said.

"This ensures officers do not conduct searches beyond their training or in unsafe conditions," he said.

He added that the changes would "strengthen" the force's response to missing person investigations.

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