Elderly woman’s death treated as suspicious

POLICE in the North confirmed they are treating the death of a pensioner whose body was found in her home on Christmas morning as suspicious.

The woman, named locally as Maire Rankin, 81, was found dead in her terraced house at lower Dublin Road in Newry, Co Down, yesterday.

Family members became concerned when she failed to answer her door or telephone calls and her body was discovered at 10.15am. She lived on her own and it is understood she had been planning to spend Christmas Day with a relative.

Police sealed off the house yesterday and forensic teams examined the scene.

Officers investigating the case confirmed they are now treating the death as suspicious and said a postmortem will be carried out on the woman’s remains today.

Local politicians said the elderly woman was highly respected and they spoke of the shock at news of her death.

Mickey Brady, a Sinn Féin member of Newry and Mourne Council, said: “The family is in a deep state of shock. Hopefully the police will be able to establish the cause of death as soon as possible.”

SDLP Assembly member Dominic Bradley said: “This is shocking news for a family to get at any time, but it is made worse when it comes on Christmas Day.

“Right now my thoughts and prayers are with the family who are attempting to come to terms with this terrible news.”