POLICE IN THE UK believe that a 28-year-old woman who was found dead on Saturday was murdered during a five-minute walk to meet a friend at a pub.

Officers investigating the killing of Sabina Nessa said she left her home in London last Friday night and walked through a nearby park when she was attacked.

Metropolitan Police said her body was found near a community centre in Greenwich on Saturday.

“Sabina never arrived at the pub and is thought to have been murdered as she walked through the park,” the force said.

A post-mortem examination, carried out on Monday, was inconclusive.

Detective Inspector Joe Garrity said: “Sabina’s journey should have taken just over five minutes but she never made it to her destination.

“We know the community are rightly shocked by this murder – as are we – and we are using every resource available to us to find the individual responsible.”

He added that the investigation was making good progress and said: “We believe there are still others out there who may have information that could help.

“If you think you saw Sabina or any suspicious behaviour in or around the park on Friday evening please speak to us.”

It comes as London mayor Sadiq Khan said violence against women was a national “epidemic”.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said: “Between last year’s International Women’s Day and this year’s International Women’s Day, 180 women were killed at the hands of men across the country.

“We do have an epidemic when it comes to violence against women and girls.

“I think us men have got to be allies in addressing this issue.”