DETECTIVES investigating the Poppy Day killing of a woman whose battered body was found near Droitwich have arrested a man.

West Mercia police refused to give any more details, saying the suspect was due to be taken to a police station in the force area and questioned today.

A police spokesman said the man was arrested in the West Midlands late last night following the discovery of the young woman's naked body on Sunday morning.

She has been named as 25-year-old Rosemary Corcoran, of Castle Vale, Birmingham.

A man walking his dog found her battered body dumped in an isolated lane near Junction 5 of the M5 in Rashwood, yards from a nursing home.

The killer had made no attempt to hide the body. He had beaten her so badly around the head that the man who found her said "her best friend wouldn't recognise her".

A post mortem revealed she died from multiple blows to her face and head.

Police were following up three "promising leads" yesterday and appealed for information on a pair of black slip-on shoes and a white vest top found yards from her body.

They declined to reveal whether the woman, a brunette, had been sexually assaulted.