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THE search for the body of missing Briton Patricia Wilson has intensified.

Mrs Wilson, 58, is believed to have been murdered in her home village in the Aveyron, the prime suspect being her gardener with whom she is known to have had a relationship which is said to

have ended badly.

The gardener is being questioned by police and has had his custody extended while gendarmes continue to comb the area - as many as 70 officers are said to have been deployed between Ms

Wilson’s home village – Vabre-Tizac – and Sanvensa, around 6km north-west.

The local gendarmerie is being assisted by specialists from the brigade cynophile (dog handlers) and identification criminelle (specialists in technical procedures for finding evidence on

crime scenes).

A wide area has reportedly been cordoned off and several small country roads blocked.

There have been contradictory reports as to whether blood found in the suspect’s car has now been proved to match that of Mrs Wilson, who was reported missing on Tuesday August 21 (though

blood stains found in her home were rapidly confirmed as being hers).

The Nouvel Observateur reports that the gardener is still denying everything despite the fact that “Patricia Wilson’s DNA was found on a strap in his car or on a front headlight marked with

blood”. Le Figaro said however analyses of blood from the car were still being done.

At the offices of the Montpellier public prosecutor, in charge of the affair, no one was answering the phone today and gendarmes refused to comment.

Le Figaro quoted a resident as saying locals find it hard to believe “this helpful, hard-working lad who said ‘bonjour’ when you met him”, would be a murderer.