Joanna Yeates: Police inquiry stalls for 24 hours because body too frozen

They said yesterday they were treating the death as suspicious, but were waiting on the results of a post-mortem examination.

The grim discovery was made at 9am by a couple walking their dogs in the Failand area of north Somerset. An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "We are satisfied the body is Joanna Yeates, but this is pending the results of a post-mortem which is not expected for at least 24 hours due to the nature of how she was found in such extreme conditions."

Police said the formal identification procedure is yet to be completed, but they have spoken to the 25-year-old's family and explained the situation.

Miss Yeates' father had earlier said he "would be relieved" if the body was that of his daughter, so that the family would have the opportunity to say goodbye.

Speaking before the latest police statement, David Yeates said: "Nobody else has been reported missing, and it's the body of a young girl close to where Jo disappeared.

"It hasn't been a Christmas for us. It's been surreal, totally unreal. We're just waiting now for the police to tell us what we suspect.

"In truth we would be relieved if it was her. We don't want to go to our graves wondering where she is and not being given the chance to say goodbye to her. We assume that she's dead so we'd like to say goodbye - our lives have gone."

The body was found on a snow-covered verge on a country lane on Christmas morning three miles from where Miss Yeates lived with her boyfriend, Greg Reardon.

The scene in Longwood Lane, close to the Bristol and Clifton Golf Club, was sealed off for forensic examination.

The Avon Fire Service helped police remove the body from the scene, which was clothed and covered in snow, in order to preserve the site for a thorough forensic examination.

Police were yesterday continuing their fingertip search in the Longwood Lane area. A post-mortem examination took place in Bristol yesterday, but due to the extreme freezing conditions in which Miss Yeates body was found, results are not expected until today at the earliest.

Chief Superintendent Jon Stratford said: "Our heartfelt condolences go out to Joanna's family for their loss. We have not stopped working hard throughout the Christmas period to find their daughter after she was reported missing.

"Now we will work just as hard to discover exactly what happened to her and how she came to be in Longwood Lane on Christmas morning.We are keeping an open mind about the cause of her death. However, I would appeal to anyone with any information whatsoever that can help this investigation to please come forward and help us provide Joanna's parents with the answers they so desperately want and need."

The last known sighting of Miss Yeates was on CCTV as she bought a pizza at a branch of Tesco Express in the Clifton area of Bristol on the evening of 17 December.

The university graduate, who worked as a landscape architect for a company called BDP, was making her way home from the Ram pub at about 8pm after a night out with colleagues. Along the way, she rang her best friend, Rebecca Scott, to arrange to meet on Christmas Eve.

Her boyfriend, Mr Reardon, 27, reported her missing on Sunday night after returning home to their flat in Clifton, from a weekend away in Sheffield visiting his family.

Tributes have been paid to Miss Yeates on a Facebook page set up to help find her.

Bec Wood wrote: "Rest in peace Jo. You will always be loved and remembered for being so beautiful, kind, successful, and lovely. You made Greg so happy.

"Our thoughts are with Greg, your parents and all of your families and friends."

Michael Whitcher added: "Rest in peace little Jo, we will miss you always. I am thankful I knew you. God bless".