Police searching for missing 23-year-old runner find body in forest

Police have announced the discovery of a body during the forest search for a runner who had been missing for five days. While the body has not yet been formally identified, the family of the missing person, Jenny Hall, has been notified.

It is reported that 23-year-old Jenny Hall was last seen just after 3:00 PM GMT on Tuesday when she left her home at Barrack Farm in Tow Law, County Durham. Her red Ford Focus car was found on Wednesday parked on the B6278 road between Eggleston and Stanhope.

Durham Police stated that the body was discovered in "a very remote area of Teesdale" shortly after 9:30 AM GMT on Sunday. Police added that the death is not currently being treated as suspicious and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

Mountain rescue teams have been searching for Hall since Tuesday. Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team led the search alongside the police, covering 60 miles (97km) of paths and tracks by Friday. Over a dozen mountain rescue team members were involved in the search, and on Saturday, seven drones, ten mountain rescue dogs, and over sixty volunteers also joined the search efforts.

Hall was a keen long-distance runner who often ran in Hamsterley Forest, the county's largest forest, covering 4,942 acres (2,000 hectares). Earlier this week, rescue volunteer Peter Bell said the area was difficult to search. "The biggest challenges are the area itself and the terrain," he said, "The terrain is muddy and boggy." Durham Police thanked the mountain rescue teams who worked alongside ground officers, as well as the public for helping to share the search appeal. Previously, police had asked forest visitors to give officers space and not disturb the area while searches were underway.