AN investigation has been launched into the police response to a missing person report hours before an elderly woman was allegedly murdered in her home on the edge of the Quantock Hills.

The missing man was later arrested on suspicion of murdering Beryl Purdy, known as Bez, in the quiet village of Broomfield.

Mrs Purdy, aged 86, died last month during what was reported to police as ‘a burglary in progress’ in the quiet village of Broomfield.

Avon and Somerset Police had received a missing persons report several hours earlier concerning ‘a man in his 30s’.

Police who were called to the reported burglary found Mrs Purdy badly injured and she died at the scene despite the efforts of officers and paramedics to save her.

About three hours later, ‘a man in his 30s’ was arrested in woodland near Broomfield after a police helicopter and a dog team were deployed.

Now, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has opened an inquiry into how the force reacted when it was notified of the missing man.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “After careful assessment of a referral from Avon and Somerset Police, we have decided to independently investigate the force’s response to a missing person report prior to the death of Beryl Purdy.

“The force had received the report concerning a man in his 30s several hours prior to the incident at a property in Broomfield.

“We understand the man was subsequently arrested by Avon and Somerset Police in connection with the incident and has since been transferred to a secure mental health unit.

“We have made contact with Mrs Purdy’s family to express our sincere condolences and advise them of our investigation. The force’s murder investigation is ongoing.”

The arrested man was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act and taken to be detained in a secure mental health unit.

He was assessed by a mental health professional who deemed him not fit for interview or to be kept in police custody.

A post mortem was carried out on Mrs Purdy but police have withheld her cause of death for ‘operational reasons’.

Mrs Purdy had been a churchwarden at St Mary’s and All Saints Church opposite her home for 20 years and village hall bookings secretary for 10 years.

She was described by the rector, the Rev Dr Mary Styles, as a ‘faithful parishioner’, and neighbours said she was devoted to the community.