POLICE have renewed their appeal to the public for help in identifying a woman whose body was found in woodland near Northwood Hills nearly a year ago.

On Monday they released a "facial reconstruction" of the woman who was found by ramblers in Copse Wood, off Ducks Hill Road, on December 15.

She was caucasian, between 25 and 35, 5ft10, with short, dark brown hair and wearing beige regatta-style trousers, a dark blue Levi jacket, blue Nike walking socks, and brown walking boots.

She had no jewellery or any identification on her. Syringes marked "insulin" were found near the body, and binoculars in a case a short distance away.

The body is believed to have been in the woods since early November last year. A post mortem on December 18 did not establish a clear cause of death, and further tests proved inconclusive.

Police have made extensive enquiries, including checks of missing persons, a DNA profile and a fingerprint check.

Scientific tests have established that the woman lived, or had lived, in an area defined as the west of a line from central London to Liverpool; to the east of a line from London to Cambridge, and to the north of a line from from Cambridge to Nottingham.

She may have spent periods of time in West Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Chorley and Blackburn.

DCI Gordon Green, of the Specialist Crime Directorate West, who is leading the investigation said: "We need the help of the public to find out who this woman is and what happened to her.

"Somebody must be missing a friend, colleague or relative who matches her description.

"If we manage to speak to that person we might be able to find out how she died."

 Anyone with information can call the incident room at Hendon police station on 020 8358 0300.