Murder riddle of WPC found in lake
Tragedy: Leanne McKie was a mother of three
A MURDER investigation was launched last night after the body of a female police officer was found in a lake.
Officers were called to Poynton Park, a beauty spot in Cheshire popular with dog walkers, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
They discovered the body of Leanne McKie, 39, a detective constable with the Greater Manchester force.
Cheshire police said a 43-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Mrs McKie was married to Darren, a sergeant with Greater Manchester police, and lived with him and their three children – two girls aged three and six and a boy aged 11 – in Wilmslow, an upmarket commuter town on the outskirts of Manchester.
Last night a neighbour described Mrs McKie, who worked for Stockport CID, as a ‘lovely lady’. The tearful resident, who did not want to be named, said: ‘She was a brilliant mother, a lovely lady. We can’t believe something like this has happened.’
Detective Inspector Adam Waller, of Cheshire police, said: ‘At this stage this appears to be an isolated incident and we are doing everything we can to establish the exact circumstances of what has happened.
‘A 43-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the incident. He is assisting officers with their inquiries.
‘Whilst formal identification has not yet taken place, we do believe that the victim is 39-year-old Leanne McKie, from Wilmslow.
‘Leanne was a mother of three young children and a serving police officer in Greater Manchester Police.
‘Our thoughts at this difficult time are with Leanne’s family, friends and colleagues.’ Locals reported a large police presence in the park yesterday and police cordons were still in place in Poynton and Wilmslow last night.
Cheshire police were called to Poynton Park at about 3.45am yesterday after reports that a body had been found.
Mrs McKie and her husband recently moved into a £400,000 detached home in Wilmslow.
Her Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of posts and happy photographs of herself, her husband and three children enjoying holidays abroad and walks in the Cheshire countryside.
Poynton Park, which is situated just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Poynton village, is around eight miles from the McKie family home.
It was unclear last night exactly who alerted police to Mrs McKie’s body but the area, which includes 50 acres of parkland as well as the lake, is popular with walkers, fishermen and birdwatchers.
The lake curves around the edge of the park and backs on to a busy main road. Part of Cheshire’s ‘golden triangle’, Wilmslow has become one of the most sought after residential addresses in the north of England.
It is home to many multi-million pound properties that are popular with players from both Manchester United and Manchester City.