Man charged with teenager's murder

A 22-year-old man has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Georgia Williams after a body was found in woodland.

Jamie Reynolds will appear in court in Telford, Shropshire, on Saturday morning.

The body of a young female was found on the Nant-y-Garth pass near Wrexham, north Wales, Superintendent Nav Malik of West Mercia Police told reporters.

Superintendent Malik said the body had not been positively identified, but early indications suggested it was linked to Georgia's disappearance. He said: "Within the last hour, following liaison with the Crown Prosecution Service,we have charged 22-year-old Jamie Reynolds with the murder of Georgia Williams.

"For obvious legal reasons, I am not in a position to talk to you about that, to ensure a fair court outcome in due course. Sadly, yesterday afternoon, new evidence came to light which identified that Georgia had in fact died at an address in Wellington, in Telford here, and clearly that information has led us to where we are today.

"I can also confirm that this afternoon the body of a female, a young female, has been found in woodland in the pass near Nant-y-Garth in Wrexham, north Wales. At this moment in time we haven't identified that body, but early indications do suggest it's linked to the disappearance of Georgia Williams."

Superintendent Malik said police had been liaising closely with Georgia's family, "who are naturally devastated by the events of yesterday afternoon and late this afternoon as well."

He said all investigations were challenging. "This has proved particularly challenging given that colleagues are working relentlessly, but also that one of the colleagues, Georgia's father, is a police officer within this organisation here, and it's been emotional for them. Whenever someone from a police family is involved, it is particularly distressing, clearly."

Reynolds, who was arrested in Glasgow, would be going to Telford Magistrates' Court in the morning, he said.

Earlier, friends of Georgia spoke of their hope of her safe return as they leafleted people in her home town of Wellington in a bid to raise awareness about her disappearance. Georgia was last seen by her parents on Sunday evening when she told them she was going to see friends.