British police have said the burning body of a woman found in woods in West Sussex was that of missing schoolteacher Jane Longhurst.
A spokesman said dental records were used to identify the body found on a nature reserve at 8.30pm on Saturday night.
Sussex Police said that a post-mortem examination revealed that the 31-year-old had been strangled and had been dead for some time before her body was set alight.
Colleagues of the murdered teacher paid tributes to her, saying she was a delightful, genuine and caring person who had been dedicated to her pupils.
Paul Atkins, Headteacher at Uplands special school in Brighton, where Jane Longhurst taught, said the staff were deeply shocked after learning of the death of the music teacher.
Detectives have appealed for anyone who was on Wiggonholt Common between 7.30-8.30pm on Saturday to come forward.
