BY CIARAN WOODS

A MAN was still being questioned last night about the suspicious death of of a woman whose body was found at her home in Strabane on Tuesday night.

The body of the 43-year-old woman was discovered at her Church View home around 9pm.

It is understood that she was found hanging and police are treating her death as suspicious and are following a definite line of enquiry.

The woman has been named locally as Rosemary Gormley, believed to be originally from Aughabrack, Dunamanagh.

A team of forensic officers spent yesterday (Wednesday) examining the scene and both the front and rear of the house were cordoned off throughout the day.

It is believed that the woman was the victim of a violent attack a short time ago. A man was later charged and is currently on bail.

Police have said a 45-year-old man is now assisting them with their inquiries into the woman's death and a post-mortem is due to be carried out today (Thursday).

One neighbour, former Strabane SDLP councillor, Peggy McManus said the whole community was "shocked and saddened".

Ms McManus said, "She was a nice big woman. She lived there alone and kept herself to herself.

"This is an absolutely terrible thing to have happened. Everybody's thoughts are with her family and friends at this time."

Sinn Féin Cllr Jarlath Mc Nulty says that there is a sense of shock and numbness in Strabane at the news that the death is being treated as suspicious.

The local councillor said, "I would firstly like to extend my deepest concontinued from Page 1

sympathy to the family of the deceased woman and the thoughts and prayers of the entire community in Strabane will be with them as they try and come to terms with this heart-rending ordeal in the days and weeks ahead."

He said it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage about the circumstances which led to this woman's death.

But he did say that neighbours of the deceased he had spoken with are in "a total state of shock and numbness that the death of this woman, who they describe as being quiet and unassuming, is being treated as suspicious".