Missing florist and disabled daughter drowned

LONDON (Reuters) - Police formally identified on Thursday two bodies found in a lake as missing florist Jude Richmond and her disabled daughter.

Richmond, 41, who newspapers say had worked for celebrities and the Royal Family, and her 9-year-old daughter Millie Whitehead-Richmond, who has cerebral palsy, had last been seen on Sunday evening.

Police divers found their bodies in a lake behind their home in South Cerney in Gloucestershire on Wednesday. Post mortems indicated they had both died from drowning.

"At this moment in time we remain open-minded as to the circumstances of these deaths and are exploring a number of lines of enquiry to ascertain exactly what happened," said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Wasley.

Officers are looking at forensic evidence, talking to all those who visited the estate over the weekend, and examining CCTV, mobile phone telephony and computer records.

"A detailed forensic search of the house and surrounding area is continuing to take place today and while we understand this may cause some disruption to neighbours we hope they will understand the necessity of such activity," Wasley said.

Officers said a neighbour had reported Richmond and her daughter missing on Monday morning. They said the florist had been described as having been under pressure recently.

(Reporting by Michael Holden)