Teenager held after ex-schoolmistress found dead

A teenager has been arrested after a retired schoolmistress was found dead at her home following a break-in.

The woman, who according to neighbours was called Freda Timms and was in her eighties, was discovered yesterday lunchtime after a friend became concerned and police were called.

An officer climbed into the house, in the Oxford suburb of Marston, through an open first floor window. He found it had been broken into and Ms Timms was dead.

Neighbours said they had seen a group of youths hanging around on the street corner on Monday night and Ms Timms' next door neighbour said someone tried to break into his house three weeks earlier.

Thames Valley Police were today carrying out a post-mortem examination to find out how she died. A 17-year-old man was arrested early this morning, less than 24 hours after the grim discovery.

Police have also cordoned off and are searching two other houses, one with a For Sale sign on in the next street to Ms Timms, and another seven miles away on the other side of the city.

Specialist search officers, forensic officers are combing the scene while police constables have been speaking to neighbours.

Ms Timms' next door neighbour, William Taylor, 41, said he had called police after a friend who used to run errands for her could not raise her.

He said a ground floor window had been broken, apparently with a glass cutter, and an upstairs window was open, as though Ms Timms had looked out on hearing the noise. Police also found a suspicious footprint, he added.

He said: "I went up on the ladder and had a look. It was quite messy but it didn't click there was any break-in, I just thought perhaps Freda wasn't keeping on top of things.

"There was a light on which was unusual because Freda was very energy conscious. I suggested something was wrong and we called the police." He said he had been "appalled" by what police discovered.

Ms Timms used to visit them for tea after much persuasion as "she didn't like to be a burden", he said.

He said she had a niece and nephew living in Thame, on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border, but no husband or children that he knew of.

"She was very independent, very bright, extremely intelligent, well read and very friendly," he said. "She was a teacher but she now just lived a simple life, reading books and listening to the radio.

"I really hope they catch whoever did this. It just makes my blood boil, it's appalling. Freda was an elderly woman, getting quite frail but she certainly wasn't near the end of her life, and now this happens.

"It's terrible how they pick on old ladies. Poor Freda would have been just terrified."