This case is so heartbreaking. I find it all so upsetting. :(


Police believe a body found on Wednesday evening is that of a missing disabled 22-year-old man.

James Hughes was reported missing on Saturday along with his mother, Heather Wardle, 39. A man and a youth have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

It is understood that the arrested man 36-year-old is Brian Kirby, the partner of Ms Wardle.

She was found with a ligature on her neck near her home in Church Hill, Redditch, Worcestershire, on Monday.

The second body was found at the family's house in Redditch.

Police have cordoned off part of Loxley Close in Church Hill, where Ms Wardle and her son lived.

A white tent has also been erected by police in the back garden of the house.

The two arrested men are being questioned at police stations in Kidderminster and Redditch, West Mercia Constabulary said.

Police said it was expected to take some time to check dental records in order to formally identify the body found on Wednesday. A post-mortem examination is being carried out.

Both Mr Hughes and his mother were reported missing on Saturday, but detectives have been trying to establish when the last sighting of Mr Hughes, who had a mental age of 18 months and needed 24-hour care, was.

They believe his mother died within 24 hours of leaving her home on Friday evening, when she had said she was going to visit a friend.

Detectives are treating her death as "unexplained".

Supt Jane Horwood, of West Mercia Constabulary, said it was one of the saddest cases the force had ever dealt with.

"What started out as a missing persons inquiry has tragically become an investigation into two deaths," she said.

"While we never gave up hope of finding both Heather and James alive, we were extremely concerned about both of them right from the start, and our fears for James obviously increased after the discovery of his mother's body.

"This is without doubt one of the saddest cases West Mercia Constabulary has dealt with and the events of the last few days have left residents of Church Hill and the wider Redditch community shocked."

Ms Wardle was also mother to three other children: Daniel, 17, Callum, eight and six-year-old Luke.

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council, which runs the social care services in the area, said the authority was "deeply saddened and shocked" by what had happened.

She said: "We are co-operating fully with all of the agencies involved and await the outcome of investigations being carried out by police and the results of the post-mortem."

She added that the council was unable to comment on individual cases.

I know, it is very very sad :(

It's shocking. I heard earlier he was found buried in the garden and could have been there since before christmas.

Omg

I can't get my head round this at all. Redditch is approx 15/20 miles from us. Talking to my dad earlier - he read on the ceefax Police indentified the lad through dental records. Thought the initial findings were a bit sketchy is so much as no one knew if mum had left the house with the child.

I have heard today the poor lad was found in a suitcase in a shed and that the bus that used to collect him was cancelled weeks ago. ( But we all know what the media are like so probably not true)
It's all so horrible. :( :(

Where does "mum" fit into this then. She obviously knew the lad was in the shed, how on earth do you explain him missing to his siblings :no: :no: :no:

I really don't know. It'll all come out. Dunno what they would have told the younger chidren but the older lad might have known what went on. Maybe it is the stepdad and the eldest son that are in custody.
Could have been a terrible accident or a 'mercy killing' and the Mum couldn't cope with the guilt. You don't know do you. We can all summise I suppose. :(

Terrible :(