Police believe they have found the body of a 49-year-old woman who had been missing since Monday. Joanne Jones was last seen at 9.45am on Monday, October 21 in Vale Gardens, Pontypridd, but hadn't been heard from since.

Members of the community joined officers from South Wales Police to help search for Ms Jones, who was believed to have headed towards the Llanwonno Forest area. The forest was still being scoured by specialist police and dogs on Friday.

On Saturday evening a statement released by South Wales Police said Ms Jones' family had been informed. "Police officers searching for Joanne Jones, who has been missing since Monday, have recovered the body of a woman," the force said. "Formal identification is yet to take place. Ms Jones' family and HM Coroner have been informed."

READ MORE: Arrest over woman's disappearance in July

READ MORE: Family who built unpopular 6ft fence without permission win battle to keep it

The force thanked the community locally for their support. In Pontypridd on Thursday and Friday many joined the search for Ms Jones, while traders stuck posters of the missing woman in their shop windows. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

On Friday chief inspector Matt Rowlands said his team had worked "tirelessly to try and establish the circumstances around her disappearance". Multiple services were deployed in the search including National Police Air Service, drones, Mountain Rescue volunteers and specialist search dogs.