Police hunt after body found at university woman found dead in locked room

A MURDER hunt has been launched after the body of a woman was found locked in a university room, police said last night.

Elizabeth Stacey, 24, who suffered severe head injuries, was found in a generator room atWestminster University in London, where she worked as a psychology research technician.

Police said they were searching for one of her colleagues, Steven Reid, who has not been seen since Friday morning.

Ms Stacey's family reported her missing at about 9pm on Friday after she failed to return to her home in Finchley, London, after work.

Staff at the university and police dogs joined in the search for Ms Stacey, but it was not until Saturday afternoon that her body was found.

Scotland Yard issued a description of Mr Reid, 33, who was said to be 6ft tall, with short, dark hair and a tanned complexion. Originally from Edinburgh, he has a Scottish accent.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Ferguson, leading the inquiry, said: "Ms Stacey was a conscientious and happy young lady and we are appealing to anyone with information about her death to contact us immediately."

A post-mortem examination was carried out on Ms Stacey's body yesterday. Forensic tests were also carried out on a blunt instrument which was recovered near Ms Stacey's body. An officer said that Ms Stacey, who was single, had only worked at the university for a few months. "As you can imagine, the family are extremely traumatised by these events," she said.

Last night the research department at the university had been sealed off. A scrawled sign outside read: "Due to power loss this building is now closed. All events are now rescheduled to another building."