Tragedy as body found in hunt for missing woman, 24, last seen in taxi as phone location ‘suddenly turned off’

A BODY has tragically been found in the hunt for a missing woman last seen in a taxi before her location services were "suddenly turned off".

Lacey Lake was spotted in the grey Mercedes before she disappeared from Stonehouse, Plymouth last Friday at around 6pm.

Tragically a woman's body was found in Tamerton Foliot on Tuesday, according to Devon and Cornwall Police.

The force described the death as "unexplained," but added it was "not currently believed to be suspicious".

Paramedics were called to the north Plymouth area on Tuesday over a concern for welfare.

The woman was pronounced dead shortly afterwards and Lacey's family have been informed, cops said.

But the body has not yet been identified as hers.

Her heartbroken family paid tribute to her after the body was found.

Her family said that they "had a lot of questions" and have been left devastated by the death of Lacey who was "loved beyond words".

In a statement on Facebook, her aunt Sara French wrote: "It is with a broken heart I need to inform my friends and family Lacey Lake has sadly passed away and her body was found yesterday.

"Thank you to everyone for the kind words and I know this is a shock to everyone but can people please respect our family right now as we have a lot of questions and we are all heartbroken and our privacy needs to be respected and we need to get her back home.

"Lacey you was loved beyond words and I don’t no how we are ever going to get past this I just hope your at peace with your mum.

"Love you always our mini xxxx."

In an earlier post on Facebook, Morgan Hennessy Kelly pleaded for help finding Lacey, who was a Type 1 diabetic and had no insulin with her at the time of her disappearance.

She added that Lacey's phone had been on since her disappearance but no contact had been made.

Location services had since been turned off - and Lacey could now be "anywhere in Plymouth", according to Morgan.

The 24-year-old was believed to have been wearing men's tracksuit bottoms at the time of her disappearance.

In an update cops said: "Police searching for a missing woman from Plymouth have today, 7 January, located the body of a female.

"Officers were called around 1.20pm following concerns for the welfare of the woman in Linton Close, Tamerton Foliot.

"Paramedics attended but the woman was pronounced deceased at the scene."

"The death is being treated as unexplained although not currently believed suspicious.

"The family of 24-year-old Lacey Lake who was reported missing on Monday 6 January have been informed.

"Formal identification has yet to be carried out."